I grew up with the advice to drink 8 eight-ounce cups of water per day. It’s a feat I’ve rarely managed to achieve. I thought I was doing well when I managed to drink 4 eight-ounce cups a day … half the recommended amount.
I have since learned that this one-size-fits-all recommendation isn’t the last word on any particular individual’s daily water intake. The Mayo Clinic says several factors determine how much water you need, including your activity level, health, and environment. Plus, you can count water in food and other beverages as part of your daily intake, which, according to the Mayo article, should be
- About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
- About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.
I don’t know about you, but when I see water requirements measured in liters, I shudder at the prospect of trying to consume that much liquid. And note that the Mayo article is recommending several cups more than eight. Ack!
I’ve tried various drinking vessels over the years to increase my water consumption with varying levels of success, but I recently acquired a glass that seems to help with the task.
Behold, the light blue Caribou Coffee drinking glass with plastic lid and metal straw.
A family member has one of these glasses, which features embossed butterflies, and when I admired it, they offered to pick one up for me.
I’m so glad I accepted the offer!
Because the glass is attractive, it’s become one of my favorites to use. It holds about 16 ounces of water, which I can sip down easily with the metal straw. I’m not normally a straw person, mostly because I don’t like to use plastic straws, but this one gently clinks in the glass and is endlessly reusable.
Prior to getting this glass, I was using a Yeti tumbler about the same size. Because I couldn’t see inside the tumbler, I kept forgetting to drink from it. Having a clear glass reminds me to keep drinking, so now I can easily drink 3 of these per day, which is 6 eight-ounce cups. Add that to my morning smoothie of 16 ounces and I’m finally getting 8 eight-ounce cups of water per day.
The right water glass made all the difference.
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Do you have trouble drinking enough water (whatever that means to you)? Do you have a favorite cup/glass that helps with this?
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I don’t know for sure if I drink as much as recommended or not but I think I come close to it. Especially if I’m out working in the heat in my garden! I carry a big thing of water out there and since I need to take frequent breaks, I drink a lot of water with each break I take.
When I’m out doing yard work, I’m chugging water, Joan! If I don’t, I end up with a headache. Fill ‘er up!
How’s your gardening going this year with all the rain?