I don't drink enough H20

[LeneSouthAfrica]

Hi. This is what I found in terms of water:
Very important to keep mucus runny, so I somehow do my 8 glasses a day. If at home I put it in a jug on the kitchen counter to remind myself. Sometimes I put water in a huge beermug next to my bed, it somehow makes me drink more. I take a big water bottle (that can go in dishwasher) to work each day.
Allowing sugar to go high (diabetes) also dehydrates you so even if you are drinking it is just flushing through
If I eat junk food and sugary stuff then plain water starts tasting bitter (especially at night) so after avoiding junk food about 2 days water becomes 'sweet' again and easier to drink
For 'cooldrink' I dilute non-citrus fruit juice (1/4 to 1/2 cup) with water. You get used to the taste really quickly. In winter I even use hot water and make a kind of a 'brew', sometimes adding herbal tea.
I drink herbal teas with a bit of honey, and plain jasmine tea goes down surprisingly well
I don't do any caffeine; it dehydrates and defeats the purpose. once you have weaned yourself off coffee you won't miss it.
If it is really hot weather, I don't get thirsty like everyone around me and I figured its dehydration setting in due to the whole salt imbalance thing so I eat a whole lot of salty food to help me get thirsty or resort to sports drinks (which is sugarladen and not ideal but at least easier to consume and replaces electrolytes). If I don't do this I become lethargic and feel quite ill: stomach pains, chills etc.
At a restaurant I always order water in addition to whatever else I have (yes, the odd milkshake, hot chocolate, or other indulgent things!)
Oh, and the more you drink water, the more you will start craving it so just force yourself for a while and see.

 

[mom2lillian]

I drink tons and tons of water but I had not always done this

If you can try to drink 8-12 glasses a day for two weeks and keep a chart and mark off as you go you will get used to it. Then once you see how different you feel and how much thinner your mucous gets you wont want to stop. If I dont drink alot of water now I feel horrible. I also think once you get really used to drinking that much water you get in tune with your thirst and will start wanting to drink it, the average american walks around dehydrated.

I rarely drink caffeine and never more than a cup a day due to it's dehydrating factor but you can balance it out, keep in mind each cup caffeinated drink basically subtracts 1 of water

Here are some tips
carry water bottle everywhere-never be without it
keep glass water wherever you do your meds/vest (I drink 2 glasses while doing vest during the coughing breaks)
drink a glass water first when you wake up
drink a bottle water whenever you are driving somewhere
keep a bottle water on your desk at home or work

 

[mom2lillian]

I drink tons and tons of water but I had not always done this

If you can try to drink 8-12 glasses a day for two weeks and keep a chart and mark off as you go you will get used to it. Then once you see how different you feel and how much thinner your mucous gets you wont want to stop. If I dont drink alot of water now I feel horrible. I also think once you get really used to drinking that much water you get in tune with your thirst and will start wanting to drink it, the average american walks around dehydrated.

I rarely drink caffeine and never more than a cup a day due to it's dehydrating factor but you can balance it out, keep in mind each cup caffeinated drink basically subtracts 1 of water

Here are some tips
carry water bottle everywhere-never be without it
keep glass water wherever you do your meds/vest (I drink 2 glasses while doing vest during the coughing breaks)
drink a glass water first when you wake up
drink a bottle water whenever you are driving somewhere
keep a bottle water on your desk at home or work

 

[mom2lillian]

I drink tons and tons of water but I had not always done this

If you can try to drink 8-12 glasses a day for two weeks and keep a chart and mark off as you go you will get used to it. Then once you see how different you feel and how much thinner your mucous gets you wont want to stop. If I dont drink alot of water now I feel horrible. I also think once you get really used to drinking that much water you get in tune with your thirst and will start wanting to drink it, the average american walks around dehydrated.

I rarely drink caffeine and never more than a cup a day due to it's dehydrating factor but you can balance it out, keep in mind each cup caffeinated drink basically subtracts 1 of water

Here are some tips
carry water bottle everywhere-never be without it
keep glass water wherever you do your meds/vest (I drink 2 glasses while doing vest during the coughing breaks)
drink a glass water first when you wake up
drink a bottle water whenever you are driving somewhere
keep a bottle water on your desk at home or work

 

[JazzysMom]

Hubby wont drink water either. He says it doesnt quench his thirst. It took my daughter going to school to get me to be consistant in drinking water. When she started school we would send a bottle of water with her so I started with the bottles. Now we have a fridge with the filtered water/ice dispenser so we can refill the bottles with good water. It takes getting use to. My water has to be ice cold and I cant be drinking it for dire thirst. Its kind of like breaking the carbohydrate craving. You need to force yourself. I am not saying deny the sweet craving of a juice etc, but the carbonated isnt good for calcium purposes. Green tea is a good step. That is the only ice tea Jazmine will drink at home now. I can tell a difference in many ways when I dont get enough water. Everything from my breath to my poop LOL! Something so simple shouldnt be so difficult.........ha!

 

[JazzysMom]

Hubby wont drink water either. He says it doesnt quench his thirst. It took my daughter going to school to get me to be consistant in drinking water. When she started school we would send a bottle of water with her so I started with the bottles. Now we have a fridge with the filtered water/ice dispenser so we can refill the bottles with good water. It takes getting use to. My water has to be ice cold and I cant be drinking it for dire thirst. Its kind of like breaking the carbohydrate craving. You need to force yourself. I am not saying deny the sweet craving of a juice etc, but the carbonated isnt good for calcium purposes. Green tea is a good step. That is the only ice tea Jazmine will drink at home now. I can tell a difference in many ways when I dont get enough water. Everything from my breath to my poop LOL! Something so simple shouldnt be so difficult.........ha!

 

[JazzysMom]

Hubby wont drink water either. He says it doesnt quench his thirst. It took my daughter going to school to get me to be consistant in drinking water. When she started school we would send a bottle of water with her so I started with the bottles. Now we have a fridge with the filtered water/ice dispenser so we can refill the bottles with good water. It takes getting use to. My water has to be ice cold and I cant be drinking it for dire thirst. Its kind of like breaking the carbohydrate craving. You need to force yourself. I am not saying deny the sweet craving of a juice etc, but the carbonated isnt good for calcium purposes. Green tea is a good step. That is the only ice tea Jazmine will drink at home now. I can tell a difference in many ways when I dont get enough water. Everything from my breath to my poop LOL! Something so simple shouldnt be so difficult.........ha!

 

[MCGrad2006]

I find that certain bottles work well for me. I like the kind that you can kind of suck on, so that you dont have to fiddle around taking the cap off and then dropping it on the floor...then you have to worry about germs and stuff. I also like to use those teas that you just drop into the bottle of water. They have flavored water stuff too, so that you just get a certain size bottle and pour the lil package into the bottle. I have also been trying to drink more water and try carrying it around with me everywhere! Hope this helps!

 

[MCGrad2006]

I find that certain bottles work well for me. I like the kind that you can kind of suck on, so that you dont have to fiddle around taking the cap off and then dropping it on the floor...then you have to worry about germs and stuff. I also like to use those teas that you just drop into the bottle of water. They have flavored water stuff too, so that you just get a certain size bottle and pour the lil package into the bottle. I have also been trying to drink more water and try carrying it around with me everywhere! Hope this helps!

 

[MCGrad2006]

I find that certain bottles work well for me. I like the kind that you can kind of suck on, so that you dont have to fiddle around taking the cap off and then dropping it on the floor...then you have to worry about germs and stuff. I also like to use those teas that you just drop into the bottle of water. They have flavored water stuff too, so that you just get a certain size bottle and pour the lil package into the bottle. I have also been trying to drink more water and try carrying it around with me everywhere! Hope this helps!

 

[Ratatosk]

I've been on a non-sweetened springwater kick lately. Started when I used to get smartwater -- they had a really yummy lime/rasperry flavor. As well as a cucumber flavored one that is really refreshing. Archer Farms (target) makes some, too.

I also buy lemons, limes, cukes and slice them up and put them in a small water bottle in the fridge during the summer time. Really refreshing.

 

[Ratatosk]

I've been on a non-sweetened springwater kick lately. Started when I used to get smartwater -- they had a really yummy lime/rasperry flavor. As well as a cucumber flavored one that is really refreshing. Archer Farms (target) makes some, too.

I also buy lemons, limes, cukes and slice them up and put them in a small water bottle in the fridge during the summer time. Really refreshing.

 

[Ratatosk]

I've been on a non-sweetened springwater kick lately. Started when I used to get smartwater -- they had a really yummy lime/rasperry flavor. As well as a cucumber flavored one that is really refreshing. Archer Farms (target) makes some, too.

I also buy lemons, limes, cukes and slice them up and put them in a small water bottle in the fridge during the summer time. Really refreshing.

 

[Alyssa]

Because I have had numerous kidney stones, I need to drink 2 liters of water a day (a preventative measure)

This seemed like an unreasonable request when my doctor first told me because I never drank water -- didn't like it.... but stones are a very painful experience so I was motivated to try......

My advice is you just have to do it (of course everything else tastes better) but <b>here's the neat thing...... once you start doing it, you will start to crave the water</b>.

I carry a 1 liter Dasani bottle with me all the time, where ever I go.... it is with me just like my purse or keys when away from the house, beside me on the couch or at the computer desk at home and of course with me at my desk at work. It's also important to have water that tastes good -- if it's not Dasani, distilled or my own filtered water from home I will only drink a little bit -- <b>it tastes bad</b>. We have a 5 stage with reverse osmosis filter at home that I get 99% of my water from. I can usually tell if I haven't been drinking enough in a couple of hours because I feel so thirsty.

Good luck!

 

[Alyssa]

Because I have had numerous kidney stones, I need to drink 2 liters of water a day (a preventative measure)

This seemed like an unreasonable request when my doctor first told me because I never drank water -- didn't like it.... but stones are a very painful experience so I was motivated to try......

My advice is you just have to do it (of course everything else tastes better) but <b>here's the neat thing...... once you start doing it, you will start to crave the water</b>.

I carry a 1 liter Dasani bottle with me all the time, where ever I go.... it is with me just like my purse or keys when away from the house, beside me on the couch or at the computer desk at home and of course with me at my desk at work. It's also important to have water that tastes good -- if it's not Dasani, distilled or my own filtered water from home I will only drink a little bit -- <b>it tastes bad</b>. We have a 5 stage with reverse osmosis filter at home that I get 99% of my water from. I can usually tell if I haven't been drinking enough in a couple of hours because I feel so thirsty.

Good luck!

 

[Alyssa]

Because I have had numerous kidney stones, I need to drink 2 liters of water a day (a preventative measure)

This seemed like an unreasonable request when my doctor first told me because I never drank water -- didn't like it.... but stones are a very painful experience so I was motivated to try......

My advice is you just have to do it (of course everything else tastes better) but <b>here's the neat thing...... once you start doing it, you will start to crave the water</b>.

I carry a 1 liter Dasani bottle with me all the time, where ever I go.... it is with me just like my purse or keys when away from the house, beside me on the couch or at the computer desk at home and of course with me at my desk at work. It's also important to have water that tastes good -- if it's not Dasani, distilled or my own filtered water from home I will only drink a little bit -- <b>it tastes bad</b>. We have a 5 stage with reverse osmosis filter at home that I get 99% of my water from. I can usually tell if I haven't been drinking enough in a couple of hours because I feel so thirsty.

Good luck!

 

[Diane]

I dont drink water often. I have been drinking wild cherry seltzer for years and i love it ! It reminds me of having a soda without all the sugar. Of coarse its an aquired taste, and wild cherry flavor is the only one i really like . I never had a problem with it mesing with my calcium though, in fact my doctor never mentioned carbonated beverages being a problem with that before so i'll ask her at my next visit.

 

[Diane]

I dont drink water often. I have been drinking wild cherry seltzer for years and i love it ! It reminds me of having a soda without all the sugar. Of coarse its an aquired taste, and wild cherry flavor is the only one i really like . I never had a problem with it mesing with my calcium though, in fact my doctor never mentioned carbonated beverages being a problem with that before so i'll ask her at my next visit.

 

[Diane]

I dont drink water often. I have been drinking wild cherry seltzer for years and i love it ! It reminds me of having a soda without all the sugar. Of coarse its an aquired taste, and wild cherry flavor is the only one i really like . I never had a problem with it mesing with my calcium though, in fact my doctor never mentioned carbonated beverages being a problem with that before so i'll ask her at my next visit.

 

[AnD]

There is something in soda that either bonds or prevents calcium from being absorbed, but I can't remember what it is...

My GI doctor told me to drink more water for my liver, and I have been trying. I got a couple of easy to clean bottles with screw on, attached (lol) lids from Walmart, and a bunch of Propel fitness water individual packets (berry, strawberry kiwi, and lemon) that is made with Splenda, Countytime lemonade and Koolaid packets that are a Splenda and sugar mix (I especially like these after I work out) and one that is berry flavored with Splenda and has calcium, vit. K and D added called Vitasplash.

I don't care for plain water (in case you can't tell- lol), but I have also started trying to make myself just chug a 12-16 oz glass of plain water just to make sure I get it in, when it crosses my mind, and that is helping too. When I was pregnant, I used half a bottle of Propel and half plain water, and since I was having to eliminate sugar, it was a treat even watered down (I didn't want any more artificial sweetner in my system than I had to have <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> ).