It’s going to be warm this weekend and even with the very best of intentions, most of us know that we’re not actually drinking enough water. A staggering 89% of us are not drinking enough water to maintain healthy hydration levels. In fact 13% of women and 20% of men admit to drinking no water at all during the day. Maybe you just forget to drink water, or rely on tea and coffee to keep hydrated throughout the day? Is it only when a real thirst kicks in at the end of the afternoon, that you even think about having a glass of water, and then opt for a glass of wine instead! Maybe you simply find drinking water pretty dull?

Rehydrate not dehydrate

The consequences of dehydration can be quite far-reaching. Common symptoms include thirst (because if you’re thirsty you’re already too dehydrated), dizziness, headaches and fatigue. Even mild dehydration can have a significant impact on mood, energy levels and cognitive function. That 3pm slump you experience could well be due to lack of water. Not having enough fluids can also lead to digestive problems such as bloating and constipation. So it’s highly probably you should be drinking more water. If you struggle to glug down the clear stuff, here are five ways to make it a bit more exciting! But first grab your own reusable bottle and keep it with you on your desk and as you travel about, keeping it topped up along the way.

How to drink more water

Infuse your water with fresh fruit and fresh herbs, to give it a delicious, natural flavour. The possible combinations are endless, but some of our favourites include lemon & fresh ginger; strawberry, lemon & basil; and watermelon & mint. Infruition-style water bottles allow you to add your chosen fruit and fresh herbs into the capsule in the bottle, and let it infuse away! Give it a hint of flavour. Many people tell me that the only way they can drink water is in the form of squash. The problem with squash is that it’s packed with sugar, and the sugar-free versions contain nasty artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. There are natural water flavour enhancers available that are free of both sugar and artificial sweeteners, and instead contain stevia, a natural plant-derived sweetener. Have a cuppa. Herbal and fruit teas are a particularly good alternative to drinking water when you fancy an afternoon brew! We love organic herbal and green teas and the wide variety on our supermarket shelves now. Ginger, licorice, fennel, lemon, cinnamon, the tea leaf choice is endless. You can’t beat a fresh mint tea! Eat your water. There are lots of fresh fruit and vegetables with high water content, and incorporating these ‘juicy’ foods into our diets can hel p ensure that we stay well hydrated! Quench your thirst with the following fruit and vegetables to eat your water, and get the added boost of vitamins and phytonutrients at the same time.
  • Cucumber. Cucumbers are composed almost entirely of water, and form the perfect base for juices and smoothies. Chopped cucumber snacks are also a fantastic to-go snack, delicious dipped in hummus! Cucumber is a fantastic source of silica, which helps to strengthen nails and hair, and keep them shiny! It is also rich in other skin-friendly nutrients including vitamin C, beta-carotene and magnesium.
  • Watermelon. As their name suggests, watermelons are high in water, around 92%. Deliciously refreshing, watermelon combines perfectly with feta and mint in a summer salad.
  • Tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes consist of around 94% water, and this one of the reasons why a bloody Mary makes such a good morning-after drink!
  • Iceberg lettuce. Often shunned in favour of the more nutrient-rich (and trendy) greens such as kale, spinach and watercress, when it comes to water content iceberg lettuce comes top of the leaves! It may have gone out of fashion in the 1990s, but you can boost your water content by incorporating some of this crunchy lettuce into your salads.
Make soup. A stock-based soup packed with veggies is a great way of upping your water intake! Just be careful of ready made soups as some of them can have a high salt content (always check the label - high is more than 1.5g salt (0.6g sodium) per 100g). Wherever you can, make your own.

Cut single-use plastic pollution

We find chilled and filtered water has a far superior taste and quality than tap water, making it much more pleasant to #drinkmorewater. As warmer weather is forecast love your employees and boost productivity with a smart plumbed in water cooler or high capacity drinking water fountain. Chilled and filtered it tastes great and is eco-friendly. Refilling your own Chilly-style bottle puts the planet first, cutting out the need to buy single-use plastic bottles that end up in landfill and polluting our beaches and oceans. Good for the planet and good for you, because water need never be boring!