Time: < 30 Minutes

STEP 1: As you have likely heard, we need to drink at least ½ of our body weight in water each day. However, if you have one cup of coffee or a coke, it cancels out one cup of your daily water since it is dehydrating. If you exercise you need additional water to rehydrate your body from exercise. (Sweet tea doesn’t count as water.) You need clean, fresh water. Based on your daily habits, determine how much water you need each day. Consider where you live (altitude, climate, temperatures, etc.) when determining how much water to consume each day. If you live in a hot or dry climate you will need more.

STEP 2: Studies suggest that having 1-2 glasses first thing in the morning will rehydrate you, get your metabolism going, flush out toxins, help you eliminate waste better, and fuel your brain. Sounds like a good enough reasons to me! Before you go to bed, fill a water bottle or large glass with water—if you wake up thirsty in the middle of the night, you will have water available, as well as water immediately accessible when you wake up.

STEP 3: If you don’t like water, you can add fruit or herbs to give it a better taste…cucumber, mint, watermelon and lemon/limes are good ideas. 

STEP 4: Try to drink all of your water an hour before your go to bed. This will decrease the need for a bathroom break in the middle of the night, which can disrupt your rest.

STEP 5: If you must have coffee or tea in the morning let it be your reward after drinking 16 ounces of water. For each cup of coffee or tea you consume during the day, challenge yourself to drink an additional 16 ounces of water. Purchase a fun water bottle that you enjoy using to keep you excited about drinking water.