Staying hydrated is one of the most important things you can do for your health. While the usual recommendation is 6 to 8 glasses per day, a Harvard study found that these quantities actually depend on various factors such as the weather, medical conditions, age and activity level. That said, the body will need more water during the summer especially because we tend to lose water from the body through sweat.

Not only does it help regulate body temperature, but it also aids in digestion, supports healthy skin, and helps flush out toxins. Despite its importance, many of us struggle to drink enough water throughout the day. Fortunately, there are many tasty and creative ways to stay hydrated beyond just drinking plain water. So here are some tips to stay hydrated.

Eat water-rich fruits

Fruits and vegetables are certainly one of the healthiest and tastiest sources of hydration. Given the many options available, there is undoubtedly some fruit or vegetable for every person to include in their diet. Consume them either as a snack or have them in your daily meals and these foods can do more than just hydrate your body. Different produce are rich in different nutrients that are essential for the body to function healthily. Particularly, those fruits and vegetables containing potassium like watermelon, grapefruit, and spinach are more advantageous as they act as catalysts to keep the body hydrated by helping the cells to absorb water faster.

Pay attention to dehydration signals

Drinking less than the required amount of water can lead to dehydration and the body usually has certain ways of showing this. Some signals include dry mouth, chapped lips, tiredness, bad breath and more. So next time, if you notice any of these signs, drink some water first before applying that lip balm.

Set reminders

Though everyone knows how crucial it is to drink a lot of water, it can be quite easy to forget to do so especially if you are busy doing something else. One simple and great way to ensure that you intake water regularly throughout the day is to set reminders on your phone. There are even apps specially built for this purpose that allow you to set a daily target and the app will ring alarms at regular intervals reminding you to drink water on a regular basis.

Another way to remind yourself to drink water frequently is to buy one of those motivational bottles that come with time marks and slogans that encourage you to reach your daily water intake goals.

Try infused waters

Water that is infused with flavours from herbs or fruits is also a nice way to ensure that you drink the optimal amount of water every day. They can also help with weight loss and digestion.

You can either buy pre-infused water or make your own infused water by adding certain herbs or fruits to a large jar of water and leaving it for 5 to 8 hours depending on how flavourful you want the water to be. Once the infused water is ready, you can filter and drink the water.

You can also purchase one of those infuser water bottles that have a special compartment with a filter in them for you to add some fruits or herbs to them, allowing the water to become concentrated with flavours throughout the day.