We know getting plenty of water is important for your body and its overall health. A sufficient water intake can help with weight loss, keep energy up and give your skin a healthy glow. The trouble is remembering to guzzle down enough water during the day. That's where your tech comes in handy. Take just 2 minutes right now to set a "Hydration Nudge" reminder.
This isn't a write-up of an iPhone-only app, or a push to go out any buy some battery-powered uni-tasker. This is simply an easy and free health tech tip that a fitness-minded friend passed along.
Lately, our water intake has been more like a binge-and-purge. After a busy workday—where we barely remembered to eat lunch let alone drink 8-10 glasses of water—we'll guzzle down several make-up glasses at the end of the night. But the benefits of drinking enough water are best enjoyed if you space your water intake throughout the day.
That's why we suggest you take a few minutes to set a hydration nudge on your cell phone. It's the perfect use of your bring-everywhere technology. Since you carry your phone around with you everywhere, it'll serve as a sort of personal nutrition assistant (No Siri necessary). Just use your cell's built-in alarm and set several alerts, spaced an hour or two apart, that remind you to guzzle down a small glass of H2O.
Not sure how much water you need? Tech comes to the rescue again! Try out this online calculator from About.com.
(Top Image: Flickr member Iain Browne licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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I find that reminders that come at an expected time are easy to ignore. I know this post is not about an iPhone-only app, but there is an app that helps with just this kind of thing: Mind Jogger. You can schedule a reminder to be fired at different times throughout the day. The current version only allows one reminder, but the next update due late fall will allow multiple reminders (like: drink water, check your posture, stand up and walk, compliment your spouse, etc...).
I keep telling my clients to use their computer alarms (or whatever they want to use as a clock) to set times during the day for stretching also. Too many people stay glued, unmoving, to their computers then complain of being stiff at the end of the day.
I will certainly tell them to use this for water as well :-)
mayoclinic.com suggests "if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. If you're concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that's best for you."
Be careful about drinking too much water! I did not think there was such a thing until my doctor told me I was drinking way too much water every day and it was not healthy.
If drinking water worked so well for your health, health insurance companies would likely be pushing that stuff hard given that it's cheap and they likely don't even have to pay for it.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp