A Guide on How to Stay Hydrated

It’s common knowledge that drinking enough water is one of the best things you can do for your body. Drinking water aids in digestion, is great for your skin, and literally fuels your body. One of my top personal goals for 2016 is to drink more water – something I’m admittedly not that great at right now. I’ve teamed up with health educator and rockstar fitness coach, April Storey, to learn more about the benefits of staying hydrated…and also how to do it! If you are like me and seriously need to step up your water intake game, check out these 5 tips on how to stay hydrated (and a free water log) below!

“Drinking water flushes toxins out of our body which can result in clear, glowing skin and drinking enough water leaves you feeling more full resulting in less calories consumed. To summarize, drink more water!”

– April

bkr-2

Buy a water bottle that suits your lifestyle.

While buying a water bottle may seem like hydration 101, think about how many water bottles you own that you don’t actually use. If your water bottle is too big, too heavy, too inconvenient – you just won’t use it. I was rocking a CamelBak water bottle for a while and only used it around the house because it was way too big to fit in a purse. My boyfriend still uses and loves his CamelBak, but an adorable and compact Bkr made way more sense for me.

Log your water intake.

Tedious? Sure. Logging your water intake can seem like overkill, but by taking note of when you finish off a glass of water you’ll have a heightened awareness of just how much water you drink in an average day. When I first started using my Fitbit, I logged my water intake into the iPhone app and became painfully aware of how little water I was drinking. There were even some days I had only one glass of water! Not good. Logging your water intake can help you to understand when you are right on track to hit your daily goal, or when you need to step it up and throw back another glass of water.

Get creative – craft up your own flavored water.

Some people have issues staying hydrated because they just don’t love the taste of water. It is admittedly plain, after all. If you’re part of this crowd, get creative and create your own flavored waters! Slide some cucumber slices into your glass or toss in a lemon wedge for some added flavor. If you really want to get fancy, there are even some water bottles that have a fillable core that you can pack with fruits to create your own flavored waters on the go.

bkr-3

“Strawberries, kiwi, cucumber, oranges, mint, lime, etc are great flavors to mix in for added flavor. Try different combinations and you will never get bored.”
– April

Stock up on water-rich foods.

Bagels are the love of my life, but even I can admit they aren’t packed with water and nutrients. If you’re looking to amp up your hydration, stock up on water-rich foods like watermelon and other fruits! Did you know watermelon is made up of around 80% water? …which probably explains why it’s called a “water” melon. Genius level stuff right here.

Never leave the house without water.

We all run through our checklist as we make our way out the door: keys, check. wallet, check. Add water to that list! Make an effort to take your water bottle with you on the go and it’ll be much easier to stay hydrated!

“Challenge yourself to drink 8 glasses of water per day for an entire month! When you reach your goal reward yourself with a pedicure or some new makeup for that healthy, glowing skin!”
– April

bkr-1

Armed with all these awesome tips on how to stay hydrated, I’m excited to tackle my 2016 goal of drinking more water – how about you? To make accomplishing your hydration goal even easier download your free water intake log below! And definitely take the time to check out April’s Facebook and Instagram pages for some awesome health and fitness info and inspo!

Water Log Banner

What health and fitness goals do you have for 2016? How much water do you typically drink in a day?

xoxo Blonde


Follow the Blonde for updates & free stuff!

* indicates required