Here are some basics on how you can use food to hack your water intake.
1. Drink water with meals.
When you are just starting out with a new water regime, one of the easiest things you can do to up your water intake is to drink water with meals. It is easy to drink water when you are having a meal. Just remember to chug it between bites. When you sit down to eat, set an intention that you will finish off your water with the meal. With every bite of food you eat, you have the opportunity to drink water intentionally resulting in higher water consumption during the meal.
2. Avoid meal choices that you typically associated with non-water beverages.
If you are like most people, you have come to associate specific meals or foods with particular type of drink. For me, this is all fast food meals. Fast food meals usually come with a drink. When I order my favorite item from the menu, I always order the same type of drink with that meal. I can’t have a ****** without a **** to go with it. If you are trying to avoid all other drink types, it is a good idea to avoid dining locations where you have become accustomed to ordering meals with a non-water beverage.
3. It will be easier to drink more water with certain meal choices.
You will probably drink less water with foods that already have a high water content like soups or fruit. If you are needing to get in more water for the day and need to chug some water fast, choose a meal type that has a lower water content.
4. Rich Foods
Super rich foods like chocolate, cream cheese, or cheese cake stick to your mouth when you eat them. This can give you the perfect opportunity to chug some water between bites. If you are having trouble getting started drinking water, you can use this cheat to get you started. Sometimes it is worth increasing your calorie count in the short term in order to develop a new water drinking habit that will pay off big in the long run. Just be conscious of your consumption of these rich foods and try not to develop any bad habits that you will have to break later on.
5. Non-Water Beverages
Drinking anything other than water can cause you to consume less water throughout the rest of the day. This is partially due to the way your taste changes after you drink or even just try a non-water beverage. It turns out that humans prefer foods and drinks that contain higher amounts of calories and/or sugar. Water contains neither, so once you get that first tasty drink of the day, it is hard to go back to plain ole water. Those tasty drinks also leave an aftertaste that can make your water taste a little funny. Because funny tasting water can be a sign that something is wrong, this may cause you to have a temporary aversion to water until the aftertaste is washed away.
Not only does it change your perception of the taste of water, it can easily lead you to just slack off of drinking water for the rest of the day. It is a phenomenon similar to cheating on your diet. Once you cheat, it’s easier continue cheating throughout the day. One little slip-up easily becomes a whole day of cheating.
6. I feel like I should also include this statement.
Warning: Do not chug more than 1 gallon of water per hour. This can kill you. Consult with your doctor before making changes to your water consumption routine. The information you see here is not medical advice.
