You know how Jerry Seinfeld’s wife Jessica wrote that cookbook Deceptively Delicious where she cleverly hides healthy ingredients into every recipe to make sure kids eat enough veggies? I use some of the same techniques to trick myself into drinking enough water.
In fact, I’ve set up a “hydration station” in my fridge to make sure I stay properly hydrated during the dog days of summer.
While I enjoy good ole plain water, I also like to get my water in by making sure I have other healthy, ice cold, no-to-low calorie drinks on hand, two in particular:
- First up: Sun Tea! I love the flavor of sun-kissed black tea, but to kick up the health quality a notch, I sneak in 2-3 green tea bags to the taste-tea brew.
- Secondly: Lemonade! Who doesn’t love fresh squeezed lemonade? Instead of making it from a mix or with a fancy simple sugar, I just squeeze the juice of 3 lemons into a pitcher of water and stir in stevia to taste. Lemons have so many health benefits including a great dose of Vitamin C so drinking the real deal is a real steal.
When I get my fill of one of these flavors, I’ll replace it with some deceptively refreshing cucumber water. Right now I’m trying to sneak in over a gallon of H20 a day so the variety in my hydration station has been a lifesaver.
And while I’m working on staying hydrated all day long, I’m also really focusing on drinking plenty of water around during my workouts, too. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 20 ounces of water before exercise and 10 ounces every 15 minutes of exercise. GULP!
What are your tricks for staying hydrated?
Now I really must go fill up a bigger water bottle all of this talk about water is making me thirs-tea!
Tanya says:
July 28th 2010It’s funny you mentioned this now – I just saw that fact about the water in the cardio room of my gym – made me drink more water yesterday!
MrsFatass says:
July 28th 2010I don’t have any tricks. And I don’t drink enough water. I must design a hydration station of my own!
Jessica@HowSweet says:
July 28th 2010I love water so it really isn’t hard for me to stay hydrated. But I have a 24 oz bottle that I try to drink 6-7 bottles of per day.
Fit Chick in the City says:
July 28th 2010I’ve been saying I that I need a hydration station for weeks. It’s as if you read my mind!
Marisa @Loser for Life says:
July 28th 2010Oooh, I have to make some fresh lemonade with stevia! Love your hydration station!
Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman says:
July 28th 2010I naturally drink a ton of water, so finding ways to sneak in more isn’t really an issue for me. I also drink a lot of iced tea during the day and the single best investment I’ve made in the kitchen (besides good knives) was getting an iced tea maker. I go through a pitcher every day. (Thank goodness caffeine doesn’t really affect me.)
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says:
July 28th 2010Your post prompted me to pour a big glass of water, which I’m now sipping :-)
Setting up a hydration station is a good idea– it would remind me to DRINK!
Jody - Fit at 52 says:
July 28th 2010Love your suggestions! My tip to staying hydrated.. keep on drinking! :-)
Heather (Where's the Beach) says:
July 28th 2010I just drink water, water, water. Boring I know. I keep a 32 oz cup at my desk and have a goal to drink 1 before lunch and 1 after lunch. That doesn’t include what I drink during and after my workouts either. I spend a lot of time in the restroom….
tanyasDailyProductReview says:
July 28th 2010I bring a few water bottles with me where ever I go….and make sure they are empty by the time I get home
kalli@fitandfortysomething says:
July 28th 2010oh great tips joanne! i just bought a really cool bottle with a straw in it and i swear i have been drinking tons of water because of it…..weird huh? i wonder if it is the straw for me? have a great day!
valerie says:
July 28th 2010I love this! I don’t have a station but I do have water everywhere and I always take it with me. I also like to make spa water in my glass pitcher because it looks so inviting.
angela says:
July 28th 2010my trick: i use a sport cap on my water bottle, which i learned from miss kim, which makes downing water so much easier! this is the ONLY way i made it through 1-2 gallons per day when training for the competition. then i also plan my water out – yes i know, so type-A. i have a 1L bottle so my goal is to drink 3 per day (which is almost a gallon) so i finish one before lunch, then i have to finish another one to “earn” my afternoon snack” and then i just have one to go before bed. then of course i use the little water tracker in the fitbook to check ‘em off as i go!
great tips miss spice!
Ivamae says:
July 28th 2010I have a 64 ounce bottle I drink (try to) everyday at work. I will sometimes flavor it with a propel water packet which doesn’t make it too sweet but gives it a bit of flavor.
amanda says:
July 28th 2010I keep water by me at all times and eat a lot of fruits and veggies with high water volume
David @ StayFitNutrition says:
July 28th 2010I do 2 things to stay hydrated:
1st I went down to target and bought a 22 oz steel thermos bottle. I keep ice cold water in it at all times, take it everywhere I go and make sure to sip on it every hour. After a few days of “sipping”, it turns into a wonderfully hydrating habit. Now if I forget my bottle, I feel like I left my child at home without a baby sitter…DON’T PANIC Inhale Exhale!
The 2nd thing I do is to make sure you always have fresh cut fruit readily available in the fridge. Just buy watermelon or cantaloupe or whatever fruits you enjoy and cut them up the night before and put them in a Tupperware and place it in the fridge. Make sure to place them in the front of the shelf so you don’t forget about them. so now every time you open the fridge….voila, who doesn’t like fresh fruit!
Deb says:
July 28th 2010I love your idea of creating a hydration station! I pretty much just alternate water and iced tea all day. I guess I’ll start calling those two pitchers my hydration station!
Naomi(onefitfoodie) says:
July 28th 2010mmm i LOVE water and guzzle it all day long!
FatFighterTV says:
July 28th 2010I am a big water drinker. When I get tired of plain water, one of my favorite things to make is herbal iced tea – flavors like raspberry, peach, and strawberry hibiscus. So good! Also, I went to a lunch where they made a pitcher of strawberry kiwi water – kind of like the cucumber water but with strawberries and kiwis. It was fantastic!
Post-Exercise Nutrition: When, What and How Much to Eat | Ask A Fitness Coach says:
July 29th 2010[...] Don’t forget to replace electrolytes lost during your workout, too: I love Joanna’s idea of setting up a “hydration station.” [...]
Nicole @ Getting Back to the Basics says:
July 29th 2010This is a great idea! Every morning I fill up my big ol’ 32oz water bottle, but somehow I never end up getting to refill it! I almost always guzzle down that first 32, but after that…any more water I can get is bonus!
Kat (Bubble Gum Gym Kat) says:
July 30th 2010I am also a huge tea drinker! But I take a gallon jug to me at work and drink the whole thing before noon. When I am getting ready for work I make a cup of tea and a glass of water with flavored stevia. Then while I am at home watching tv or blogging I sip on water and stevia instead of snacking. I drink over 2 gallons a day
Suzanne says:
August 2nd 2010Thanks for the great idea!! I’m going to put it into action in our house.