How to Get Your 8 Daily Glasses of Water or More

Doctors recommend that we drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day, and while recent studies suggest that sodas and diuretic beverages like tea and coffee may count towards hydration, the health benefits of drinking pure clean water cannot be denied.

Staying hydrated with water helps your athletic performance, prevents fatigue, and facilitates fat loss. It also helps with digestion, constipation, and keeping you more alert during the day. But for most of us, taking in all that water during the day can be a challenge. Some people simply don't like the taste of water, and others cannot remember to drink enough during the day. Fortunately, there are ways to make it easier to achieve your ideal water intake.

Keep it Chilled.
For some people, there's nothing worse than warm water, and trying to cram ice cubes into a bottle is too much trouble. They'd drink the water if it was ice-cold, but since it's not, they forego it altogether. Well, here's one tip. Have two water bottles-they don't have to be fancy. You can use the type you get from a movie theater or the convenient store. Fill each bottle a quarter of the way, then put it in a freezer. In the morning, take one and fill it with water. The ice in the bottom will melt all day. When you're done, fill it again, put it back in the freezer, and switch it out with the other bottle. Voila. Chilled water all day long.

Ditch the Math.
If you find it impossible to keep track of just how much water you really drink each day, WaterU has the answer. They sell a 2.2 Liter (74 oz.) polycarbonate plastic bottle with a handle and a wide, sip-able mouth. Selling for $6, this bottle will hold all the water you need for the day. You'll know you're done when it's empty and not before. It cleans easily and is safe in the freezer. The bottle is not as heavy or unwieldy as one might suppose, even when full. (But it might make jogging difficult. It's more of a tool for a desk-jockey.) The only drawback is the high condensation level on the plastic if your water is ice cold.

A Bottle of Your Own.
But maybe your problem isn't keeping track of ounces, but just making sure water is nearby. If so, you should purchase a smaller individual water bottle for yourself-preferably one with a straw. One excellent and popular model is the Camelbak water bottle which comes in 9 colors. It is spill proof, it comes with a flip-n-sip top, and a wide mouth so that you can add ice cubes if you want.

Flavor Enhancers.
If you just can't stomach water, you should learn how. Try drinking it at a cooler temperature. Try adding a dash of lemon juice. But if all else fails, try one of the water flavor enhancers by Water Sensations. These packets come in orange, wild berry, and strawberry-kiwi. It instantly flavors water with no stirring required. And it contains no carbs, no calories, and no caffeine. Best of all, they're sold in single serving packs, so you can flavor your water bottle and throw the packet away.

Set a Timer.
It's easy to forget to drink. We get busy, we get focused, unless we're parched, drinking is the last thing on our minds. That's why we need a reminder. If you have a kitchen timer, set it on your desk to go off every fifteen minutes or so. When it does, take a drink, and stretch your muscles. It'll be good for any repetitive stress disorders you might have as well as for hydrating your body. If you don't have a kitchen timer, use a reminder in Outlook, or set a reminder on your watch, cell-phone, or blackberry. Just make sure that some little device is nagging you to drink at regular intervals. If you wait until late at night to get in those last glasses of water, you'll be getting up to run to the bathroom all night, and we don't want that.

Armed with these tips, you should be well-hydrated for the days to come. Good luck!