The human body contains up to 60% water, and most people do not get their recommended daily intake. Do you know how much water is recommended daily for rehydration?

Advice can vary slightly from physician to nutrition, but on average, a moderately active adult male or female should be guzzling down 1.8-2 litres of water each day, broken down this is about 6x 250ml water bottles. Quite a bit and chances are, you’re currently not getting enough.

Drinking water is the best way to rehydrate and stay hydrated, as well as cleanse our internal system. The health benefits of water are aplenty with it’s ability to eliminate waste and toxins, regulate weight and temperature, promote good digestion, and fight fatigue. With the help of hydration catalysts like lemon or tincture drops you can greatly improve skin elasticity and decrease your chances of dryness or dehydration.

However, if chugging back water feels more like a chore than a triumph, there are some simple yet effective things you can do to make keeping your fluids up fun.

So, keep reading for our top 8 tips on how to rehydrate yourself when plain old water isn’t quite cutting it… 

1. Sustainable Is Sexy

We know the environmental dangers of buying plastic drink bottles (they take hundreds of years to break down and injure and kill marine life that mistake it for food), but have you considered the health implications too?

Single-use plastic bottles often contain the chemicals PET or BPA, which leach into the water and have been linked to multiple health issues including hormone disruptions and heart complications.

So, if that scares you as much as it scares us, it’s time to invest in reusables. Not only are they a safer way to rehydrate, they’re cheaper in the long run too, as you won’t need to replace them for a long time.

There are many non-toxic types on the market, in varying sizes, shapes and colours. Anti-bacterial or stainless steel is ideal, as they’re odour resistant, and insulated versions will give you the option to hold hot beverages as well as cold. Some great Australian brands include Memobottle, Keep Cup, Frank Green, SoL Cups and Beysis.

2. Ice Ice Baby

It’s simple: when you freeze water it becomes ice, so this is another way you can up your input.

Just add ice cubes to your beverages (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and make fruity icy-poles for the warmer months using basic moulds.

You can also infuse your cubes with interesting additions like mint, cucumber or lemon for a light infusion of flavour.

3. Choose To Infuse

Speaking of fruit, have you thought about adding it to the water you drink straight up?

It’s an instant uplift that turns your boring old glass of H2O into a liquid flavour bomb and it actually enhances hydration of the body, tissues and cells as it acts as a catalyst for cellular integration. Squeeze or steep fresh slices and chunks of melon, strawberry, lemon, lime or orange in a jug or carafe. You can add herbs too, such as basil and mint, or vegetables like cucumber, celery and kale to make a detoxing green juice.

As well as tasting great, there are many health benefits, including a boost to the immune system, higher energy levels, appetite and blood pressure control and heartburn prevention. Another alternative is coconut water, which contains loads of electrolytes.

4. Switch To Sparkling 

Craving the feeling of a soft drink without the calories or sugar? Give carbonated water a go!

Water that’s been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure is known as carbonated water (also sparkling water, soda water, club soda, seltzer water and fizzy water) and manufacturers often add small amounts of salt to improve their taste. Natural sparkling waters are made from mineral springs and tend to contain some sulfur compounds.

Sparkling water is just as beneficial as regular water and can achieve the feeling of being full, which is great for people wanting to lose or maintain their weight.

5. Try Herbal Tea

Unlike regular tea, herbal tea is a blend of dried herbs, spices, leaves, fruits and flowers (and in some cases even bark and roots) in hot water. Whilst most caffeinated teas contain around 3/4 of a cup of water, herbal teas are equivalent to a full cup and can be considered the same when it comes to hydration.

The best bit is that you can brew your teas to suit the weather - hot in winter and cold in summer. Popular varieties include chamomile, peppermint, ginger, echinacea, sage and lemon balm.

Full of antioxidants and nutrients, they are a great way to rehydrate as well as reduce inflammation, relieve muscle spasms or menstrual pain, alleviate stress and improve sleep and relaxation. When warm, herbal tea water can assist in the prevention and ease constipation too, blend dependant and quality of herb dependant.

6. Eat High Water Content Foods

Although the vast majority of our daily water intake comes from beverages, the rest can come from food, and you can tip the balance slightly in favour of the latter by eating foods that are high in water.

Produce that contains between 90-95% water includes iceberg lettuce, celery, zucchini, cabbage, grapefruit, cauliflower, cantaloupe, cucumber, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and watermelon.

Water-rich foods that contain between 80-88% are potatoes, raspberries, carrots, pineapple, blueberries, apples and peaches.

Other hidden sources of water are in skim milk, cottage cheese, oatmeal, plain yogurt, and soups and broths.

7. Work Up A Thirst

Just a quick tip (and something to do in moderation, of course) but consuming spicy foods every now and then like chilli infused dishes, curries, and salty snacks like cured meats, nuts and pretzels will make you thirsty and have you reaching for a glass of water in no time.

The same logic applies for exercise, as water will never taste better than after a work-out!

Take weather into account, on hot days with increased sweat you will required higher water intake, and may find yourself thirstier so make sure you have a water bottle close at hand.

8. Use An App

Utilising modern technology is another great way to track your daily water intake, and there are plenty of water tracking apps on the market to try out.

As well as just encouraging you to rehydrate with reminders and helpful data, they will also determine how much water you should be consuming according to your height, weight, gender, age, activity levels and environment. This means that every monitoring system you use will be customised to your specific needs, and therefore, more accurate.

If you make an app a part of your routine too, you should be kicking your hydration goals in no time!