As we start to head into the warmer months, it’s a good time to recommit yourself to staying hydrated and happy. As you probably know by now, your body needs to stay hydrated to keep all your organs functioning, your body temperature regulated and to keep your mind running at peak performance. Dehydration is no joke — and can be a surefire way to disrupt your day-to-day life and leave you feeling awful.
“Dehydration is very common, and [it leads] to many symptoms, including fatigue, constipation and decreased concentration,” Dr. Nancy Rahnama, physician nutrition medical specialist and board-certified internist, tells SheKnows.
Rahnama explains that recommended daily water intake varies depending on many factors, such as a person’s weight, environment, gut function, level of physical activity and medications they take. But as a general rule, she suggests starting off with 64 ounces (eight cups) of water per day.
We all know that we should diligently be drinking enough water each day, but there’s just one problem: Plain, flat water simply isn’t appealing to a lot of us. Luckily, there are plenty of healthy beverage options that count toward our daily water intake, and drinking them won’t feel like quite as much of a chore.
“Water is considered a liquid beverage without caffeine, alcohol or sugar content,” Rahnama explains.
If you don’t love flat water or you simply want some more variety when you hydrate, try drinking these five beverages. Eight ounces of each is equivalent to eight ounces of regular water and they each contain either zero or very few calories.
A version of this story was published June 2018.