You’ll do everything you can to get in shape, right? But will you drink 8 cups of water a day to stay hydrated? Too many of my clients say no. They’ve got reasons. Blech, I don’t like water. Too many glasses bloat me. It’s no Diet Coke… What? You don’t like the most important liquid there is? As hard as it is to swallow the truth, we need the clear stuff to look and feel great. Think about what it will do for your body – it makes your skin glow, it helps you shed weight – and you’ll start craving it.
Of course, as in any great relationship, love can take time, so be patient. Get to know one another. See what works, what will help you. Maybe you’re not into drinking your H2O straight from the bottle. Maybe you need to mix it up to make it more palatable. I say do whatever it takes to get your water down – and here are five ideas to get you started.
Tote It Around If you have water on hand, you’ll get into the routine of drinking it. Start with carrying a bottle of water in your purse. Buy one of those refillable ones and take a swig whenever you’re thirsty. You’ll be surprised how many times a day you’ll reach for it – standing in the grocery line after racing around the store, or while driving, for example. Always plunk in a few ice cubes when you refill, to keep it cold.
Pick Your Poison If you find water too bland, go for one of the many different flavoured water options on the market. There’s no way you can’t find a taste you love. Check the water section of the grocery store (you didn’t even know there was one, did you?) and you won’t believe the selection. There’s everything from coconut water to citrus to all kinds of colourful vitamin water. 
Make Your Own Don’t want your water bottled? Make your own DIY version to suit your taste. Drop some sliced pineapple, oranges or raspberries into the pitcher of water your keep in the fridge. Or just add a drop (or two or three) of any naturally flavoured liquid water enhancer – like Nesfruta, which is made with fruit juice – to your glass. It will give just a hint of sweet taste to your H2O. Want to dress it up even more? Take your water in a champagne flute and add some tonic for a bubbly twist.
Do Distil Distilling water strips it of unhealthy ingredients and makes it crystal clean. Just add a dash of pink Himalayan salt for a mineral boost. You won’t taste it and your body will thank you for the nutrients. Make sure you’ve got distilled water around by investing in a water dispenser to keep it in a corner of your kitchen. One water jug should last all day.
Go Hot or Cold Not in the mood for cold water on a cold day? Why not sip some hot water with honey or tea with lemon or even warm up some soup? Remember, though, caffeine will also dehydrate, so you need to chase every coffee cup with water. Hot or cold, it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is, make sure you get your fill every day. So tell us. Did we make you thirsty?
