Im realizing that I’ve actually been chronically dehydrated for a good portion of my adult life and I’m looking to change that. I just don’t enjoy drinking water (as silly as that may sound).
Any advice is appreciated.
Electrolytes
How do I drink more water?
Submitted 16 hours ago by Maven@piefed.zip to [deleted]
Comments
MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 1 hour ago
No_Eponym@lemmy.ca 3 hours ago
Would an alarm reminding you to drink help? And then tracking how much you drank?
flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 3 hours ago
Maybe try some peppermint tea and other herbal infusions?
I’ve moved over to an amazing zingy/spicy lemon ginger lemongrass licorice root loose leaf that’s incredible.
My point is, herbals might be a good way to go. The thing to watch out for is the weak watery stuff - this is tea after all… If you’re a coffee drinker this might all be a bit bland. Also, stay away from the green and lack teas, they’re all still caffeine from tea leaves
Bubbaonthebeach@lemmy.ca 6 hours ago
Herbal tea, hot or cold. Add flavour to your water - crush a couple frozen berries in the glass, add mint, add citrus slices. Try different temperatures: iced, room temp, just boiled. Drinking from a glass or cup instead of a bottle can help.
Godnroc@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
Are you drinking water with meals? I find washing something down, even a single chip, causes you to drink more than you could by itself.
Also, keep it at hand. A refillable bottle is worth investing in. If you like it ice cold, get a vacuum insulated vessel.
Maven@piefed.zip 15 hours ago
I have a water bottle but I can never finish it in a day.
I think the washing down food idea is really good and im definitely going to try that going forward.
Flagstaff@programming.dev 14 hours ago
Rinse after you eat anything (or drink anything other than water) and you’ll never get cavities.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 6 hours ago
Put water in a cup, put your lips up to the opening of the cup, slowly tilt the cup toward your mouth and swallow the water that goes inside.
ApollosArrow@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
If you have a stationary job, then just plop a big ass water bottle with a straw on the desk between you and the keyboard for easy access. Water is the only thing I drink after only drinking iced tea every day until I was 18. Remove everything that isn’t water from your home. Turn your bottle into your fidget toy if you have to, having a straw helps even if you use it to open and close it. Hopefully before you know it you won’t even realize you’re drinking water. You don’t need to enjoy it. Same way people don’t enjoy medicine, you put up with because you’re an adult. If that seems too daunting, then you have some other demons you may need to tackle first before being able to get onto water.
HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Step one, fill cup with water.
Step two, drink cup.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you’ve drank enough water.
otp@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
Step two, drink cup.
I think you’re supposed to drink the water, not the cup itself
Tronn4@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Can i get an IKEA instructional leaflet of this?
thermal_shock@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
Do you play games? Consider it fuel/health, daily requirements. Just chug two tall glasses first thing when you get up.
Sendpicsofsandwiches@sh.itjust.works 16 hours ago
You go: “Wow, I’m an adult now and sometimes I have to do things I don’t want to do”. And then you drink the water.
The fact of the matter is that almost nobody’s favorite beverage is water, but in a display of forbearance (combined with not being too fond of the whole dehydration thing) we drink it anyway.
Additives and things can help you in the near term, but developing good habits takes time and effort (and is very often the cornerstone of good health).
AskewLord@piefed.social 14 hours ago
eventually good habits become self re-inforcing.
I can’t drink mass market soda anymore, it’s disgustingly sweet. some of the smaller boutique sodas have way less sugar and are tasty.
the_mighty_kracken@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
Try getting a soda stream to add a bit of fizz to your water. That might make it more enjoyable to drink.
Little8Lost@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
Even better when having some sirup at home (but dont put the sirup into the soda bottles especially before adding soda)
Cassa@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 hours ago
does sparkling help? cucumber, slice of lemon, orangeslice?
I know a lot of people get those huge bottles and it helps them - just having it with them all the time 🤔
Maven@piefed.zip 16 hours ago
Generally not really… sparkling water mostly just makes me wish I was drinking normal water or just normal juice. Its kinda just the worst of both worlds.
I have gotten really into making my own juices recently like oranges and apples and yada yada but even then I dont even think I drink enough. (Plus juice is far more sugary than normal water even if its natural juices)
crank0271@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
You could always water those juices down a bit. So a half glass of juice mixed with a half glass of water. Basically homemade (non-sparkling) Spindrift.
FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world 15 hours ago
does sparkling help?
I’m craving sparkling water now. I forgot how much I liked that stuff. It’s been years
Cassa@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 hours ago
I love that shit, got one of those sparkers at home to make it with. is good shit
Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
A different approach to the not liking water, get a good filter. I used breta filters for years but a few years back installed an under sink reverse osmosis filter because the water here is so hard that it just tastes bad whether left hard or softened. I knew water could be better because I grew up with decent water and liked it even back when I preferred pop or juice.
I wonder if anyone who claims to dislike water has only ever had subpar water. Note that I include a bunch of bottled waters in that, as I vastly prefer my RO tap water to any store bought bottled water, though some were on par with breta filtered water, though I’ve always hated the waste involved in buying bottled water (other than those big ones you can refill and stick in a water cooler, which can also be RO water if you have a good water place to get it from).
If you do go for RO, make sure the system you get has an extra stage that adds some minerals back into the water. The RO on its own actually leaves the water too pure to be safe to drink regularly, as it causes osmosis to pull nutrients out of your cells (or something like that). I’d also only suggest it in an area where water is plentiful, as it does use more water than what you get from the filter, though adding a passive pump can improve efficiency.
Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Berkey water tank with a set of Doulton filters.
Hydro Homey gang.
CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 10 hours ago
While the mineral issues are a concern, for most people it’s overcome with a decent diet. I’m not sure that those remineralizers do an awful lot. But I don’t leave water standing eg in kettle!
evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 15 hours ago
Big Water Bottle has everyone convinced that we need to be chugging water 24/7.
Unless you live in a really hot place and work outside, or have some other risk factor (like dementia or diarrhea), thirst should be enough to keep you hydrated enough.
If you dont have additional risk factors, and you dont just exist in a constant state of thirst, I wouldn’t worry about it.
DomeGuy@lemmy.world 15 hours ago
Echoing this:
Being dehydrated has real and generally unpleasant symptoms which drinking water alleviates. Dehyrdation is not just when your urine has a color.
If you have to go #1 on a regular basis, you’re probably not dehydrated.
sbeak@sopuli.xyz 9 hours ago
100% get a water bottle and carry it with you. Reduces the effort needed to take a sip. Additionally, try to drink less sweet drinks too. I never liked fizzy drinks anyways.
dabu@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
Start by adding some flavour, like slices of lemon or orange. In time you’ll start to like how hydrated you are. Just don’t put sugar into it.
Nemo@slrpnk.net 16 hours ago
cucumber is great for this
Little8Lost@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
It helped me a great deal to get a hydration backpack usually intended for sports. I dont even leave the pc a lot but its 3L of water storage that can be consumed while having both hands free (except start&end for like 3 seconds). It needs a bit of getting used to drinking out of a mouth piece but else its the most convinient way of drinking water
Cevilia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 hours ago
I have a filtered water bottle that I keep full. I just keep it handy. If I’m thirsty, it’s less hassle to take a drink from my bottle than to go to the kitchen/break room/café and get a different drink. When it’s empty, I’ll let myself grab a different drink IF I fill the bottle up too.
orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 hours ago
Just drink it.
Maven@piefed.zip 16 hours ago
Part of the problem is that I dont enjoy drinking water so its difficult to convince myself to go out of my way to do a thing I dont like doing every day. I know the answer is to drink water but like… how would one go about doing that in a way that doesnt suck?
Tywele@piefed.social 15 hours ago
Don’t have anything else to drink at home.
orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 hours ago
I truly don’t understand this. Water is so refreshing and clean tasting. Did you grow up drinking lots of soda or sugary drinks?
dingus@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
OP, are you sure you are actually dehydrated? Are you getting kidney stones?
Most people don’t need to actively concentrate on drinking liquids. Your body will tell you when you’re thirsty. It’s a weird internet fad where people try to drink like a gallon of water a day. It’s not necessarily. Your body tells you when it’s hungry and it tells you when you need to drink liquids. You’re not going to die from failure of the body signaling you to eat or drink.
Now, if you’ve had kidney stones, your doctor may tell you that you need to be drinking water.
Beyond that, excessive water drinking is just the latest fad right now. It’s not necessary.
otp@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
For me, it was having a water filter and drinking out of glasses, not cups. I don’t like the way water tastes coming out of plastic or steel as much.
TheButtonJustSpins@infosec.pub 7 hours ago
I keep a jar with 64oz in it near me every day and pour that into a glass. It helps.
sefra1@lemmy.zip 8 hours ago
Try high pH water, normal water is painful to drink, but high pH water is much smoother.
ssfckdt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 hours ago
Water enhancers. Mio, Gatorade tabs, etc.
core@leminal.space 9 hours ago
Eat more fruit. The water in it will help you hydrate
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
I’ve started making my espresso drinks with more water for that reason. Yes, it tastes more ‘watery’ but I get more water so - win?
antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 hours ago
Don’t. Drinking water with meals dilutes your stomach acid. Just eat less processed food and less salt and you’ll barely need to drink any water. Cooked vegetables and fruit are both mostly water.
Only time you need to drink water is when exercising outdoors for extended periods, and even then it’s about 3-4 liters per day (including food).
Also despite a lot of bogus advice out there, coffee is water, beer is 94% water. I have gone months with only coffee and beer and it’s not a problem.
Finally that brings us to kidney stones. Avoid high oxalate foods, and if you are worried about stones drink lemon water or other acidic beverages, as it dissolves stones better than plain water.
Chronic mild dehydration is not a disease and it does not need treatment. I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice.
Drink when you’re thirsty. Water or any other liquid other than soda pop. You’ll probably be fine.
yoevli@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
OP, please don’t listen to this person. Most of this is terrible advice.
To start, it’s still advisable to drink water through the day even if you’re getting some from your food intake. A typical diet will provide around 20% of the recommended daily amount - the rest needs to come from actual fluid intake. Even with a diet with a high proportion of fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t come close to meeting the ideal amount.
Coffee and beer are not the same as the equivalent amount of pure water. Caffeine and ethanol both function as diuretics - that is, they promote urine production which in turn reduces your overall hydration. Ethanol is worse in this category to the extent that alcoholic drinks can actually dehydrate you. Caffeine has a more mild effect and is overall hydrating, but a cup of coffee still isn’t equivalent to a cup of water.
Citrus fruits do help prevent kidney stone formation, but it’s primarily via a different mechanism involving the citrate found in those fruits/juices rather than the acidity itself. Not that this matters too much in practice, but I point this out due to the inclusion of “other acidic beverages” as an alternative.
Chronic mild dehydration (generally) won’t kill you, but it will prevent your body from functioning at its best and can potentially cause issues with electrolyte imbalances, blood pH, and plenty else. You should aim to stay optimally hydrated as much as possible for the benefit of your overall health.
“Drink when you’re thirsty” is the one solid piece of advice here. Your body has evolved cues like this over hundreds of millions in order to get you to take good care of it, and its best to listen to them as much as possible. That said: these cues only works when you’re cognizant of them, and it’s still important to be actively mindful and intermittently remind yourself to follow them, especially when you’re involved in tasks that would otherwise distract you from them.
CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 10 hours ago
My water intake is pretty high, but it does vary seasonally - in summer, I’ll go through 5L easily. I think that most people could stand to increase their water intake, and reports of hyper hydration are overstated.
- Learn to just drink a whole cup at once. Then do that on a schedule.
- I don’t want to recommend bottled water because it’s environmentally reprehensible, but find a way to make water taste neutral. Part of that, though, is just getting used to it.
- building on that taste thing - it’s probably better for the long term to get used to it than to always add flavor.
- Find out if you like it better warm or cold. A lot of people insist on cold water, but I don’t like cold water. It takes too long to drink without a brain freeze effect, unless I want something specifically to cool me down, which is infrequent.
Fleece@feddit.uk 14 hours ago
Keeping water at arms reach is probably what helps the most. But I read a few things when I was pregnant that really helped me with upping my water intake.
-
Have water at bedside table. When you wake in the middle of the night have a few big gulps before going back to sleep.
-
Have a drinking vessel with a straw. Something about moving head down or up making drinking difficult, a straw might help.
And of course, not everyone needs two litres of water a day. Hope it helps!
HubertManne@piefed.social 13 hours ago
story time. growing up my older brother kept a glass vodka bottle filled with water near his bed. He was just starting college and I was a kid with my friend over on a weekend. He was sleeping in. He wakes up and like every morning downs the bottle of water. My friend comes to me and is like. Your brother just drank a whole bottle of vodka!
-
Jankatarch@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
I keep a water bottle nearby at all times and sip a bit as I remember. Honestly how often you take a sip probably matters more than how much anyway.
YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz 15 hours ago
Squeeze-it water enhancer. There’s several hundred different flavors, you can add however much you want at that time, so you can make it stronger or weaker as the mood hits you. Most are typically 0 cal, but IIRC there are some that have no sweetener at all. Search for “water enhancer”, but here are some examples. I’ll also make them go further by adding them to some iced tea, so you can make an Arnold Palmer. Variety is the spice of life.
urheber@discuss.tchncs.de 37 minutes ago
Walter with lemon or lime taste and lots of sizzle