Suggestions to Increase Water Intake When You Dislike Water

Drinking enough water is vital for your health, for dehydration can harm your body in ways that you may not even be aware of. You brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, blood, bladder and skin all depend heavily on proper hydration to function well. In a moderate climate, you should try to drink six to eight cups of water every day, but if the weather is hot or you are physically exerting yourself, you will need to drink more to compensate for the loss of water caused by sweating. But if you dislike water, you can employ different strategies to ensure that you remain hydrated.

Juice

• While you may not want to make fruit juice your primary source of water intake due to the high amounts of sugars it contains, juice can supplement your water intake if you dilute your water with a little juice each day. You can go as light as adding a twist of lemon or lime to just give the water flavor or you can use apple, orange or grape juice to dilute the water more thoroughly and increase the nutrients you take in as well. Fruit juice is considered a nutrient-dense beverage, and 100% fruit juice has more nutritional value per calorie than any other drink.

Sports Drinks

• Sports drinks contain water but don't taste like water, and their added electrolytes also help rehydrate you rapidly. Many sports drinks also contain vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and potassium that all help give you a healthy boost through the day since you lose more than simply water when you sweat. Sports drinks also often have low-calorie options, which are beneficial in avoiding too much fructose, which can lead to weight gain.

Milk

• Milk, especially skim milk, is another great choice for increasing water intake and maintaining hydration, since cow's milk is about 87% water. When you sweat and exercise or otherwise physically exert yourself, you lose not only water, but electrolytes like potassium, sodium and calcium. Milk is a natural source of all of these necessary minerals, and if you don't like the taste of plain milk you can make it chocolate and still receive the benefits.

Fruits and Vegetables

• A wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet can help you increase your water intake without drinking water at all. Melons, especially, are good water sources because they are over 90% water. Strawberries and cranberries are also excellent water sources, each being composed of at least 87% water. Some vegetables can also increase your water intake: broccoli is 91% water and spinach is 92% water, while lettuce, cucumber and celery are all at least 95% water.Therefore, a simple salad could help you make a dent in your daily water intake.

Flavored Water

• You can also have water that doesn't taste like plain water through purchasing flavored bottled waters or water-flavoring products. Many bottled waters have options like lime, raspberry, peach, grape and tropical fruit flavors. If you don't want to buy bottled, you can purchase fruit-flavored powders or liquids to add to your own glasses of water at home to add a fun twist to a normally plain drink.