Among the things that I do frequently everyday and aim to make as simple and impactful as possible (a simple life, big dream principle) is drinking water. We all know how important it is with respect to hydration and general overall well-being, but it turns out there’s a lot that we (or at least I) didn’t realize before diving in. Much of what I present below is reinforced in Kimberly Snyder’s book Radical Beauty and in Dave Asprey’s book Heavily Meditated. 

Timing is important: 

• Drink water immediately after you wake up to rehydrate after sleep and set the tone for your day. 
• Drink water before, not during meals. 30 minutes before each meal should give your body enough time to digest it so your stomach acid isn’t diulted while you eat. 
• Drink less water at night so it avoids waking you up to go to the bathroom. 
• Sit down while you drink to support digestion and absorption–I use time in the car (always with a straw!) to drink water, or sometimes pair drinking water before or after my meditation.

Temperature is important:

• According to ayurvedic principles you should drink warm water in the morning to flush toxins.
• Avoid ice-cold water, especially with meals, because it can delay digestion. I drink my water at room temperature or warmed because it’s easier on digestion and kidneys. 
• Cold water is refreshing post-workout, but be cognisant before meals because it can slow digestion.
  

It matters how much: 

• Few people (except maybe marathon runners) know that you can have too much water. The recommended amount of water for an adult female is around 72 oz/day, while kids need closer to 40-50 oz/day, and teenagers 64-88 oz/day depending on level of activity and climate. 
• I try to divide this into servings per day focusing on when I first wake up, before lunch, and before dinner, leaving whatever remaining that I didn’t get to that day to drink before bed. 
• If I workout a lot on a given day, sweat more than normal, or eat a lot of fiber (water helps you process the gas that fiber creates), I drink more water and add a pinch of unrefined salt which aids in digestion.

It matters what you drink from: 

• Avoid plastic bottles (especially if left in heat). 
• I avoid drinking out of plastic (or eating out of plastic) as much as possible both for the environment and my personal health to avoid microplastics. 
• Some plastic bottles create carcinogens in the water when left in heat. If I leave a plastic bottle in the sun for any amount of time, I throw it out or water my plants with it.
• Try glass, stainless steel, or ceramic to reduce exposure to chemicals and preserve taste.

Make it the most impactful: 

• Set reminders or make your routine a reminder—set your hydration routine in accordance with your meals or between meetings so that you have a cadence to drinking. Sitting down and being intentional about drinking gives the added benefit of built in pauses throughout the day.
• Keep water visible and accessible–we keep it on the counter in a large glass water dispenser where we can’t forget to drink it. 
• At our house, we seasonally infuse water with herbs and produce to get the added health benefits and keep a sign on the dispenser, reminding us of the natural health benefits of the ingredients. 
• I like to think about these benefits while drinking the same way you might focus your mind on the feeling of a certain muscle group when you’re lifting weights.
• To decrease waste we’ll often infuse water on the fly based on what we have in the fridge that could spoil, and I even freeze some ingredients in little containers to throw in on a hot day.
• Whenever I can, I pair my morning water routine with my meditation practice (either before or after), which naturally inspires a mental reset for my body when I drink water throughout the rest of the day. Even if I don’t meditate when I drink, my body subconsciously connects it to slowing down.  
• Use it as a key to wind-down: Before bed I drink slightly warm water infused with lavender, chamomile, vanilla extract, lemon balm (a mild sedative) or even cinnamon which helps balance blood sugar. I infuse this in smaller, daily batches 1–2 hours before bedtime, and sip slowly while winding down, or even laying in bed. Warm water eases digestion and aids in absorption and sleep.