There are a variety of reasons to drink plenty of water each day. Adequate water intake prevents dehydration, cleans out the body, and promotes healing processes. Substituting water for beverages high in calories can also help control weight. Follow the steps below to make sure you're getting enough of this most basic necessity.

1. Determine how much water you need. You've probably heard the "8 by 8" rule--drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day (2 Qts, 1.8 L)--but the amount of water a person needs varies depending on his or her weight and activity level. A better way to determine your specific recommended water intake is to divide your weight (in pounds) by two. The resulting number is the number of ounces of water you need each day. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., strive to drink 75 ounces of water daily. For those who use the Metric system, divide your weight (in kilograms) by 30 (ex. somebody weighing 70 kg is going to need 2.3 litres per day).
   
2. Measure your daily intake of water. Do this for a few days. If you find that you're drinking less than the recommended quantity, try some of the following tips.
   
3. Carry water with you everywhere you go in a bottle or other container. Before long, you'll find yourself reaching for it without a second thought.
4. Keep a glass or cup of water next to you whenever you'll be sitting down for a long time, such as when you're at your desk at work. Drink from it regularly as you're working.
   
5. Try wearing a digital watch that beeps at the beginning of each hour. Use that as a reminder to pour yourself a glass of water. Vow to drink that water before the next beep. If you drink only one small (6 ounce or 180 ml) cup per hour, you'll have consumed 48 ounces (1.4 L) by the end of an 8-hour workday.
   
6. Get a water purification system. Purified water tastes very good and may help make drinking water more appealing to you. Be aware, though, that as you grow accustomed to purified water, you may find that tap water leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
   
7. Add lemons or limes to your water, it makes it taste better and makes you want to drink more of it. Be careful not to make it too sour, just a splash of sourness should do the trick. Some mint leaves can be added to a pitcher of water which should be allowed to sit overnight. These are cheap alternatives to the bottled flavoured water.
   
8. Eat water rich foods, such as fruits like watermelon, which is 92% water by weight. Blend up some seedless fresh watermelon flesh with some ice and place a few sprigs of mint (optional) - one of the most refreshing drinks, especially for the summertime. Cranberry juice is also another option, and has a bitter taste. It is advised to patients suffering from urinary infection caused by insufficient intake of water to drink cranberry juice and watermelon if not plain water everyday. A tomato is 95% water. An egg is about 74% water. A piece of lean meat is about 70% water.
9. Try exercising more to cause yourself to be thirstier and therefore drink more water.

• Increasing your water intake may cause you to have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. To avoid this, you may want to stop drinking water a few hours before bedtime--or make sure you visit the toilet before bed!
• People with some heart conditions, high blood pressure or swelling of the lower legs (edema) need to avoid excess water. If you have a history of kidney problems, especially if you have had a transplant, consult your doctor before increasing your fluid intakes.
• You shouldn't drink too much water while eating as it dilutes your stomach acid and can cause digestion problems.
• If you live in a place with a lot of heat (e.g., the desert), you will have to drink extra water.
• DO NOT drink too much water, water intoxication is a real and fatal thing. This is high risk to runners, or people suffering from over exertion, or heat stress.
• Never eat something very cold (like ice cream) followed by something hot (such as coffee). This may crack the enamel on your teeth.
• Crystal Lite, Gatorade and other electrolyte drinks contain acetic acid which can increase rates of tooth decay.
• Be aware that some elderly individuals with difficulty walking may avoid drinking adequate amounts of water, as they have difficulty tranferring/walking to the bathroom. In such cases, a bedside commode may be useful. If you are caring for such an individual, encourage them to drink the necessary amount of water and reassure him/her that you can help them with the transfer to the commode.

Article Source : Drink More Water Everyday

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