Have you ever felt the throbbing headache or foggy fatigue of being dehydrated? I know we've all been there. I have loved water my whole life and naturally drink plenty, but I've still been dehydrated countless times. So I've compiled a list of some of the ways I stay hydrated and have upped my water intake!

In Zambia, it has begun raining this week which means temperatures will start dropping a little. Many of you are feeling temperature drop as you head into fall and winter, and it's so common to pick up more coffee and sweet hot drinks. But let's make sure that we are still getting plenty of water.

According to Cornell Medical Center, 75% of americans are chronically dehydrated. Although many may not be aware as it is measured by having a net fluid loss. This could mean that someone is getting enough servings of hydrating fluid in a day but the amount is offset with coffee, alcoholic beverages and high sodium diets which cause the net fluid amount to drop leading to chronic dehydration.

Water is so healing and can help prevent and solve many problems. There are countless benefits which I won't go into detail, I can save that for another day! Just google it and you'll be amazed. For now, how to get more h2o.

6 tips for increasing water intake:

1. Find your sweet spot. Every person is different and you need to calculate and test out how much water your own body needs. A common way to calculate is to take your body weight (in pounds) and divide it by 2. This number gives you the amount in ounces of water needed each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you will need 75 ounces of water per day. But just doing that isn't good enough. Test that amount out and try for more! Track how you feel different days with your amount of water intake until you find your sweet spot. Mine is about 3 litres per day, 100oz, though my recommended would only be around 80oz (2.3 litres).

2. Water bottle trick. Use a water bottle to track how much you’re drinking. For example, use a 1L bottle and then set your goal of drinking 3 or more of the water bottles.

3. First things first. Skip the coffee first thing in the morning and drink a full water bottle first, or instead. Drinking water first thing when you wake up has many benefits!

4. Infusion. Infusing your water with different fruits and herbs usually causes you to drink more! I keep a large jar of water with lemon in the fridge normally. We also like to have another water jar with cucumber or berry infused water. Mint is a great addition, as well.

5. Checkpoints. Have goals, checkpoints and timelines for yourself through out the day. For example, 1 litre before breakfast, 1 before lunch and 1 before dinner. I try toreach the majority of my water intake goal by dinner time. Choose your checkpoints or specific times during the day to help hold you accountable.

6. Stop and chug. If you’re noticing you aren’t getting enough water and you haven’t been meeting your checkpoints, stop what you’re doing, and get at it, right in that moment.

I hope these 6 easy tips inspire you to drink more water. Get your water intake up and keep it consistent. I'd love to hear the benefits you notice from drinking more water daily! Comment below. :)