Drink Enough Water

Eight cups a day. We have all heard that number but it isn't entirely accurate! For example - I am 5'2" and weigh 120lb. Should I drink as much water as Nick, who is 6' and weighs 175lb? That's just daft, right?

To determine how much water you need, a general rule of thumb is to multiply your weight in pounds by 2/3 to get the amount of ounces of water that you should be drinking. I should drink roughly 80 ounces of water, that is actually 10 cups of water a day!! Madness right?!

I have to confess that I don't always make that amount. The sheer volume of water is crazy and I struggle with it. However I get pretty close and here's how.

1) Use hairbands

I have a glass that fits precisely a cup into it and I wrap hairbands around the base of the glass. Each time I drink a glass of water, I remove a hairband and that way I can keep track of how much I have drank as well as challenging myself to complete the required amount of water.

2) Use a (BPA free) water bottle

I also have a water bottle for when I am on the go. I find that if I have the water in front of me at all times then I am more likely to drink it. I am never able to stray too far from a toilet though - all of the water pays its toll on me! I use a metal water bottle, I am not very keen on the plastic ones. I worry about the plastic leaching into the water.

3) Use a flavour

When water is just too much for me to stomach, I use some sort of fruit juice to add to it to flavour it. It isn't the healthiest but it keeps me drinking water. I also plan on investing in one of those bottles that you can add fruit to so that fresh fruit can infuse the water - frozen berries would be great for this!

4) Add a little sparkle

If I want a real treat then I will buy a bottle of water. Again, I don't do this very often because I worry about BPAs in bottled water. But it can be a real treat at the dinner table. Yes, it isn't exactly champagne but we TTC ladies have to take what we can get!

5) Buy a filter

Carbon based filters are probably the best type. Tap water is better than bottled waters (have I mentioned BPAs yet?!) but it is even better when properly filtered. You can do this with a water bottle that has a built in filter or you can buy a water filter that attaches to the tap or a water filter jug that you can store in the fridge, to keep your water super cold. Whichever you want!