How do I drink more water?

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Maven@piefed.zip⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

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.

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Godnroc@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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- Maven@piefed.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.
  
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  - Flagstaff@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Rinse after you eat anything (or drink anything other than water) and you’ll never get cavities.
    
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Sendpicsofsandwiches@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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).

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- AskewLord@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.
  
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Cassa@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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 🤔

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- Maven@piefed.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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)
  
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  - crank0271@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.
    
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- FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  does sparkling help?
  
  I’m craving sparkling water now. I forgot how much I liked that stuff. It’s been years
  
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  - Cassa@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I love that shit, got one of those sparkers at home to make it with. is good shit
    
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evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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- DomeGuy@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.
  
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dabu@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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- Nemo@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  cucumber is great for this
  
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orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Just drink it.

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- Maven@piefed.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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?
  
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  - Tywele@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Don’t have anything else to drink at home.
    
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  - orbituary@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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?
    
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  - dingus@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.
    
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Jax@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
One thing to consider is that your relationship with taste might need to be re-examined.

Human beings can go most places in the world and find food. Taste is a big part of our ability to do so as a species, sure, but the fact remains that being able to eat/drink solely to satiate your desires (rather than survival) is actually an abnormality if we compare it to the rest of human history. In a sense, it is a privilege to simply be able to say ‘no’ no to something strictly based on the flavor.

Try to guage it based on how you feel rather than how it tastes. You should be able to feel the difference between how a day with only water feels vs a day without water (I’m not including beer or soda here, yes it can keep you hydrated no it is not a solution to hydration unless you’re trapped in adesert).

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- Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  sugar free soda is absolutely fine for hydration, the addatives just go straight through your body
  
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  - Jax@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I think if you look at in isolation, sure, much like beer in a survival situation. Sugar free soda is still linked with things like higher blood pressure, diabetes — which, to me, sounds like you’re just better off drinking water.
    
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Buddahriffic@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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- CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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!
  
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- Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Berkey water tank with a set of Doulton filters.
  
  Hydro Homey gang.
  
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DJKJuicy@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Just drink water. You’ve ruined yourself over all these years by drinking juice/soda/Brawndo. You keep buying into the lie that “you don’t like water”.

You’ll get used to it and eventually come to want water. It’s literally what your body craves. Humans have existed for 300 millenia; mass produced sugary drinks have only existed for what, 100 years? You’ve evolved to drink water.

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jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Just having it right there works best for me.

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paris@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
For me, having a large water bottle within arms reach at all times is what helped me start staying hydrated. I used to use gallons of water from the store and refill them until I felt it was time for a new one, but now I have a nice 64oz water bottle. Importantly for me, I don’t like sucking on a straw to drink water. It’s too much work and too slow. I like my water just cooler than room temperature.

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BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Tap water? If so, try filtered water, get a good, credible filter and filter the water. Depending on where you live there’s a fair amount of materials in the water that make it unpleasant.

Try adding more water to dishes you eat, have soup and put in a couple ice cubes and drink all the broth.

There’s various ways to flavour water to make it more enjoyable. Common ones are listed by Witchfire, but there’s also commercial products that may help. Just try to avoid the ones with caffeine in them.

Really, you have to probably train yourself to enjoy water. Have a piece of chocolate or something with water. Associate it with positive acts. Pavlov yourself.

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- T156@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  Tap water? If so, try filtered water, get a good, credible filter and filter the water. Depending on where you live there’s a fair amount of materials in the water that make it unpleasant.
  
  In a pinch, boiling it, and letting it cool back down also helps some, if they can’t afford a filter.
  
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ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I had this exact conversation with an (online) coworker. I will just drink feel compelled to cups of water, sometimes multiple in a row, and feel refreshed. They don’t exactly taste good but we’re wired to find it pleasant.

My coworker said he had to basically remember to drink water. When he’s exercising it’s more instinctual.

Well I was shocked the first time I actually met this coworker, at the Dubai office where he works from. The water there felt wrong! Apparently I was having good tasting water my whole life. I was kind of dehydrated the entire trip. Literally all the water there didn’t feel refreshing, honestly. It comes out of desalination factories, I get it, it’s still water, but it’s something to think about. I’ve appreciated my delicious Lebanese mineral water a lot more since then.

I hope this doesn’t sound out of touch, I understand most people in many countries can just drink tap water safely, and bottled is seen as a luxury and not a cheap necessity like it is here. But maybe try changing the water? All the answers here feel blasphemous to me. Cucumbers? Flavors?

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- Aetherial@nord.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  As someone who lives at the other end of Asia, I can attest to tap water being undrinkable and bottled water the norm. I would also add all these comments saying “get a filter” are just setting themsleves up for problems down the road. UV flashed, RO, carbon filtered water is clean AF but has been stripped of essential trace minerals and micronutrients. In order to have efficient hydration, we need to reacquire those somewhere… so unless commenters are planning on gorging down salty snacks and chugging sports drinks behind their water, I would refer people to ConcenTrace products in order to do that. I’m not shilling for the company but I am a happy customer. There are probably other ways to go about this, but I’m not aware of them; a simple scoop or drip into my water mug is easier than sourcing various and combining them on my own.
  
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Bubbaonthebeach@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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?

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Trual@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Make it the first thing you drink when you wake up.

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- lovely_reader@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  This is a great start. You can even fill a glass before bed so it’s waiting on your nightstand when you open your eyes, like sizzling bacon on a bedroom Foreman grill.
  
  (This should be fine as long as you’re not immunocompromised, in which case you may need to stick to temperature-controlled water.)
  
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Witchfire@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Water tastes better with a few grains of salt or a slice of lemon in it

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sad_detective_man@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
career change to a warehouse. you’ll go through like 20 bottles a day

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YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Get the flavor packets, don’t let people shame you for it either! Just get fucking hydrated!

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HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Step one, fill cup with water.

Step two, drink cup.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you’ve drank enough water.

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- otp@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  Step two, drink cup.
  
  I think you’re supposed to drink the water, not the cup itself
  
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- Tronn4@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Can i get an IKEA instructional leaflet of this?
  
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Fleece@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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!
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- HubertManne@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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!
  
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Doom@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Why do you think you’re chronically dehydrated? Is your urine brown? Have you been fainting? Do you have kidney stones? (I don’t actually want to know - please don’t share your personal health information on the internet - but if the answer to any of those questions is yes please see a doctor.) Otherwise if the answer to those questions is “no” you are likely getting more then enough hydration. It’s a myth that we need 8 glasses of water a day or need to be constantly drinking water to be “hydrated.” Just keep your water of choice available and drink when you are thirsty. You don’t need to (and shouldn’t) force yourself to drink beyond that. Our bodies are really good at self regulation and forcing more fluid into our system just equates to extra unnecessary trips to the bathroom. You don’t need to force yourself to “like” water. If it’s the only thing you have on hand to drink you’ll drink it when you get thirsty.

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mavu@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
is this a “how to eat an elephant” type of question? (one bite at a time)

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HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Have you tried various sources of water? I can usually taste the difference between various bottled waters, let alone tap water from different places. Maybe you don’t like the local tap water.

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MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Add flavoring, like ginger + citrus, melisse, tea. Some teas also can make you more thirsty.q

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flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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

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ApollosArrow@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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core@leminal.space ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Eat more fruit. The water in it will help you hydrate

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- SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  but then you have a lot of sugar.
  
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  - EponymousBosh@awful.systems ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Not enough to be an issue unless you already have diabetes or another blood sugar problem.
    
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Kolanaki@pawb.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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sbeak@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ 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.

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