The benefits of drinking more water are indisputable: it helps keep our digestive system moving, assists in fighting hunger, hydrates skin and helps us avoid the fatigue that can come with dehydration. The question is, how do we get enough?
Kathy Freston, author of The Lean: A Revolutionary (and Simple) 30-Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight-Loss, devised a simple, straightforward plan to help you get your fill of water each day. The key to her strategy is drinking according to a schedule to be sure to get your eight glasses. Here's how she lays it out:
- Before you get out of bed (keep a glass on your nightstand).
- 10-20 minutes before breakfast.
- Between breakfast and lunch–around 9:30-10 a.m.
- 10-20 minutes before lunch.
- Between lunch and dinner.
- When you're preparing dinner (or just before dinner)
- A couple of hours after dinner.
- Right before bed.
Of course, you can adjust the plan to better fit your schedule, but the idea is to make water drinking a habit you can stick with–not just something you do when it's convenient. Freston suggests "gulping" or "swigging" instead of sipping–you're more likely to finish the whole glass.
