6 tips for drinking more water

Dr. Mohamed Samee, internal medicine physician at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, gives advice on how to stay hydrated.

1. Add flavor

Adding fruit can help improve the taste, says Dr. Samee, this can help you drink more water than you usually do.

2. Get a tracking app

The general recommendations of water consumption for women is approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water each day, and men an average of approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces daily) of total water. With this much water to consume, getting an app on your phone to track your water intake could keep you on par with your goals.

3. Grab a sparkling water

Drinking sparkling water is a great alternative to having drinks that contain a lot of added sugar.

4. Allow thirst to be your guide

A 2004 report indicated that a majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide.

5. Mark your bottle

Put little tabs on your water bottle and make goals for yourself so you’ll know how much you should drink throughout certain points during the day

6. Eat water-enriched foods

20% of daily water intake comes from food, says Dr. Samee. Many foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, have high water contents; so consumption of these may help you get in some extra water content during your day.

About Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center:

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is part of Advocate Health Care (Advocate), the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest Accountable Care Organizations in the country. A national leader in population health management, Advocate operates nearly 400 sites of care and 12 hospitals, including three of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, the state’s largest integrated children’s network, five Level I trauma centers (the state’s highest designation in trauma care), three Level II trauma centers, one of the area’s largest home health and hospice companies and one of the region’s largest medical groups. Advocate trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $692 million in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2016. Advocate is part of Advocate Aurora Health, the 10th largest not-for-profit, integrated health system in the United States. We help people live well. To learn more about Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, please visit us: www.advocatehealth.com/immc.