Do you struggle to stay hydrated every day? Most of us know we should probably be drinking more water, yet we don’t quite reach our daily goal. Life interferes — we are distracted with work, family, or school, and we forget to pause and take a drink.
But what if you could make drinking water more fun? And give yourself a boost in the process? By adding a few simple ingredients, your water can do more than hydrate. I’m sharing my best hydration tips with you in this article, to help you see that drinking water doesn’t have to be boring. The four fun and natural hydration drinks here will keep you sipping all day!
But first, let’s look at the major benefits of staying hydrated.
Why Is Hydration Important?
Drinking water is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your overall health. Most people are chronically dehydrated and the effects are serious. From cognitive dysfunction, weight management issues, poor skin health, a weak immune system, to gut health issues, dehydration can take its toll. Just dropping 1% from your optimal hydration level will negatively affect your mood, memory, and ability to pay attention. In fact, your brain is the first organ to call dibs on the water you drink and needs water for even the simplest of functions, like keeping your brain cells active and moving.
I tell people to drink 1oz of water for every pound of body weight! But chugging your weight in plain water every day can get boring. Getting your daily water intake can feel like such a task, so I wanted to share some recipes to make staying hydrated fun.
Here are four ways to liven up your water from bland to detox water, anti-aging water, boosted water, or superfood water.
1. Chia Seed Detox Water
Chia seed detox water is trending on TikTok — and for good reason! This water boost helps with weight-loss and daily fiber intake, plus it’s a source of the electrolyte calcium. And you get the detoxifying, metabolism-boosting, immune system supporting benefits of citrus. What a huge boost!
What other benefits do you get from drinking chia seed water?
- Good for your heart
- Rich in antioxidants
- Supports healthy skin
- Curbs hunger and helps with weight loss
- Energizes you
How to make chia seed detox water
Add the following to room-temperature water:
- 1-2 tbsp of chia seeds
- 1 tsp of Himalayan/Celtic sea salt
- Squeeze of lemon or lime
That’s it! Drink this detox water 30 minutes before each meal. You also have the option to let the chia seed detox water sit in the fridge for 20 minutes before drinking.
2. Anti-Aging Aloe Vera Water
Aloe vera is the ultimate hydration ingredient. Humans have been using the water-filled leaves of the aloe vera plant for thousands of years, primarily for treating skin injuries. But this super plant does more than soothe sunburns. When you put it in your water, it gives you a major hydration boost and supports other bodily functions as well.
What are the benefits of drinking aloe vera water?
- Promote gut health (prebiotic)
- Reduce wrinkles
- Increase collagen production
- Fight diabetes (by lowering blood glucose levels)
- Boost metabolism
- Reduce acid reflux
- Help lower inflammation
How to make aloe vera water
- Blend lemon juice, cucumber, and ginger. Strain the pulp and pour the juice back into the blender.
- Using a knife, cut along the sides of the aloe leaf to remove the spines. Cut along the face of the aloe vera leaf to remove the outer leaf and rind.
- This will expose the clear gel. Rinse off any yellow liquid that seeps out and cut off and discard any yellow tinted gel.
- Scoop out the clear aloe vera gel from the middle of the leaf. Add 2 tbsp of clear aloe vera gel to the blender with the cucumber, lemon, and ginger juice.
- Blend on low until the aloe vera gel has fully mixed and incorporated into the juice, about 20 seconds.
- Pour the fresh juice over ice and enjoy!
3. Coconut Water
Studies have shown coconut water to be more rehydrating than regular water. It has high levels of potassium and other important electrolytes, so you can substitute it for a regular sports drink after a short run. It also has fewer calories than most sports drinks, and is less likely to cause nausea or an upset stomach.
Other benefits of drinking coconut water:
- Contains antioxidants (look for fresh coconut water for the most antioxidants)
- Helps dissolve kidney stones
- Balances pH levels
- Burns fat and supports weight loss
- Energizes
- Contains amino acids to help your body respond to stress
- Anti-aging cytokinins
You shouldn’t replace regular water with coconut water entirely, because although it’s low-calorie, it’s still more than zero-calorie water. It also contains higher amounts of sodium. If you like coconut water, you can add it to your daily water intake by thinning it out a little. Make a drink that’s 2/3 coconut water and 1/3 water or half and half, just to add a little more flavor to your hydration efforts! A good choice for you can be also natural food that contains electrolytes.
Look for a low-sugar or no added sugar brand or just go for some from a fresh coconut!
4. Just Add Water®
When you want to make hydrating more fun but need to throw something together quickly, try my Just Add Water® superfood smoothie mix. It’s packed with nutrients and has the balanced combination of protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs. Add one packet to your water for all the essential nutrition you need in a day! Get clean energy, hormonal balance, and gut-healthy benefits. We also recommend a vitajuwel water bottle.
What other health benefits do you get from Just Add Water®?
- Energizes
- Detoxes
- Source of vegan protein
- Supports immune system
- No dairy, gluten, wheat, rice, tree nuts, or soy
Liven up your water
Hopefully these hydration tips will encourage you to drink more water and get all your fluids in each day! The benefits of staying hydrated are immense, and can have a major, positive impact on your body and overall health. Stay hydrated, healthy, and happy!
Have you tried any of these hydration drinks before? What’d you think? Let me know in the comments, or hit me up on Instagram! You can also follow me on pinterest for more health and wellness tips.
XO – Serena
