Water is a life necessity, there’s no way around it. Up to 60 percent of our bodies are made of H20, after all. But let’s be real: Drinking plain water day after day can be downright boring.
That could be part of the reason why up to 75 percent of the U.S. population is chronically dehydrated, according to Medical Daily. Fortunately, there are fun ways to stay hydrated, and you can start with these eight.
1. Carry An Inspiring Bottle
Related: Find the best water bottle for you.
2. Add a splash of juice
A glass of 100 percent fruit juice can be sky-high in sugar, sure—but a splash can easily sweeten water naturally, says Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet.
Your go-to recipe: Mix a quarter cup of your favorite citrus juice (think: orange, grapefruit, or unsweetened lemonade), and add three-fourths cup of water. Voilà! You’ll get a nutritional boost, too, says Gans: “The citrus provides your body with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, which may help to strengthen your immune system.”
3. …Better yet: Infuse the fruit itself
Not a fruit juice fan? No biggie. Stick with the fruit itself. Add fresh slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, orange, strawberry, or watermelon to a jug of water and refrigerate, suggests Gans.
If you want, throw in an herb like mint, which (added bonus!) works to soothe your stomach in the case of indigestion, she notes. Pro tip: Pick up a decadent glass dispenser to showcase your infusions. Who doesn’t want to sip water when your beverage is worthy of a Pinterest board?
4. Get creative with cubes
To create your next-level cubes, start with pairing fruits and herbs like cucumbers and basil, lime and mint, or lemon and honey. Chop your ingredients into very small pieces, sprinkle them into your ice cube compartments, and fill with water. When chilled, serve with a glass of water or seltzer (while looking at just how awesome your creation turned out!).
For a healthy-gut boost, mix with Ultimate Flora Probiotic Fizzy Drink Mix in Raspberry Lemonade.
Related: Adaptogens 101: These Herbs Are Trending For A Reason
5. Add a healthy mix-in
You can’t go wrong with a drink that packs a nutritional punch and is bursting with flavor. Add an immune-boosting Vitamin C pack, or a protein (like Clean Protein – Unicorn Milk, especially within 30 minutes of your workout) to your water to reap extra benefits. Or, go for BodyTech’s Aminos, which are designed to help your body recover post-workout. Need a dose of energy? Garden of Life’s Organic Plant-Based Energy + Focus is a great-tasting (and totally clean) way to help get your body and mind into gear.
6. Go ginger
According to Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, ginger offers up antioxidants to support the immune system, while it also promotes digestive health. To get in on those benefits, cut a two-inch slab of ginger and add to your water. For a warmer concoction, add a bit of warm water, a slice of lemon, and a spoonful of raw honey to the ginger-y mix.
7. Add some bubbles
Water haters might want to consider a machine like a SodaStream, which can covert a bottle of plain ol’ H20 to bubbles in seconds. While seltzer water (even unflavored) is a bit more acidic than regular water, most of us won’t see any teeth issues from sipping the sudsy stuff. And if you pop a couple strawberries, cucumbers, or lemon slices into the mix, you’ll have an updated, delicious beverage.
Related: 5 Ways To Kick Excess Water Weight
8. Don’t drink, eat!
The beauty of hydration is that you don’t have to always be drinking to achieve it. According to Nutrition Review, plenty of fruits and vegetables (think: cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon, lettuce, cabbage, celery, spinach, pickles, and cooked squash) are found to be made up of 90 to 99 percent water.
You generally need about 64 ounces (or 1900 milliliters) of agua per day, so if you’re not interested in drinking it all, consider the water content of these fruits and veggies: A medium cucumber offers about 194 ml, a slice of watermelon contains about 147 ml, and a medium tomato offers about 119 ml. Since these are pretty widely available foods, it’s easy to get a lot of your water you need from the foods you’re probably already eating.
In the end, you’ll need to nosh on about two slices of watermelon or a medium-sized cucumber and a tomato (which is probably already in your salad!) to get a little more than eight ounces (or one glass) of water.