5 Reasons Why Drinking Water is a Chore

1.  It doesn’t look appealing enough to drink

A series of experiments done at the University of Illinois showed that image or presentation is linked to the amount of food or beverage a person consumes. The more attractive or enticing it looks, the easier it is to consume more of it.

Find a container you like to drink from and keep it with you at all times. It could be a glass, bottle, a mason jar, or a tumbler. I personally like to purchase and collect hydration bottles. I like the ones that pop out with color but are very handy. I make it a point to switch them up every now and then just to keep things interesting. Nothing like using a “new” bottle all the time, right?

2. You think straight water is the only way to go

If you think plain water is boring, you’re not alone. Straight water being plain and well…tasteless is one of the main reasons why we often choose another beverage over it. There are tons of healthy ways to make your water much less boring. Try adding some of these things:

• Lemon or lime slices
• Cucumber
• Mint leaves
• A sprig of Tarragon
• Fresh, whole strawberries

Okay, who am I kidding? The possibilities here are endless. Fresh fruit (Just don’t squeeze the juice out) and herbs are guaranteed to keep you drinking. Apart from the numerous health benefits, this still guarantees maximum hydration.

3. You wait ‘til you’re thirsty

Chances are, your body is already moderately dehydrated when it starts sending thirst signals. At this point, it’s more difficult to replenish whatever has been lost to the point of hydration. We constantly lose water—and I’m not just talking about sweat, or urine but what’s called the insensible losses through our skin, feces and even through our breath. So, if the body constantly loses water, it only makes sense to constantly rehydrate it.

Thirst (as in the desire to gulp a big-ass glass of cold beverage) doesn’t have to be the signal you wait for before taking at least a sip. Go for more subtle ones such as slight dryness on the lips and in the mouth.  I find this the best indicator because the lips dry out the fastest and easily show signs of dehydration.

4. You chug it down all at once

This one’s closely linked to #3. Remember that there’s no need to down a full glass right away. I mentioned that the body loses water all the time. If it’s through so much sweat after a physical activity, then a larger intake is needed. Although it’s always best to drink 1-2 cups of fluid prior to excessive sweating to avoid dehydration.  Otherwise, just take small  but frequent sips of water.

According to Ayurveda, the traditional system of Hindu medicine, there is a proper way of drinking water: take a small sip, swallow, breathe and repeat. This allows the body to fully absorb the fluid rather than just let it pass through the body, which happens when we down everything right away. The good thing about this is that it doesn’t fill the stomach with so much water, allowing you to take another sip sooner than you would if you had taken in more. When you take smaller sips, you’re actually able to drink more in the long run.

5. It’s too cold

Growing up in a tropical country has got me thinking there’s no point in drinking water if it isn’t cold or iced. I probably am not the only one used to drinking cold water to cool the body most especially in the hottest weather. What most of us don’t know is that cold water brings no benefit to the body. In fact, according to Ayurveda, it literally douses the digestive fire. This means it sets your digestion off and out of whack.

Warm or room temperature water is enough to bring the body back to its normal temperature. Cold fluids (not just water), on the other hand, only cause distress to the body. While it may feel refreshing as you drink, you might notice that your body will only allow you to drink or take in so much. Apart from that, you get this false feeling of satiety after you’ve practically soaked your warm organs in an iced beverage. When this used to happen to me, I felt like my thirst was satisfied longer. But now as I look back at it, I think the reason why it took me awhile to rehydrate after a cold drink is because my body needs more time to recover from the temperature I put it in that it doesn’t want to take any beverage until it’s gone back to normal.

There is honestly, no single way to properly drink water because every body is different. But one thing is for sure: we all need to constantly make up for the water we lose every second, with every breath.  So do it. You owe it to yourself.

Source Articles:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200410/brain-playing-your-food

http://www.health.arizona.edu/health_topics/nutrition/general/waterhydration.htm

http://www.peacewardyoga.com/the-art-of-drinking-water

http://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/columns/narural-healing-the-dangers-of-drinking-cold-water/