by Adrianna Velez

People will debate this until the sun goes down, but it’s worth trying: Have a glass of water before every meal.

1. Start first thing in the morning. I’ve got a head start on this, actually, because I’ve been starting my mornings with a cup of hot lemon water. But even if you don’t do that, your body will love a glass of water first thing in the morning (unless you’re pregnant — I could never drink water on an empty stomach during my pregnancy).

2. Drink tea. Smith says tea counts — not so much tea made from some sort of sugary syrup or powder, but actual brewed tea and tisane.

3. Drink iced tea. Check the labels to see if it’s brewed from real leaves and make sure it’s either sugar-free or is at least low in sugar (15 grams or fewer).

4. Buy a water bottle and a carafe. Keep the bottle around with you during the day. Keep the carafe and matching glass by your bedside.

5. Use a filter. I’m lucky enough to live in a city with water so delicious, it wins awards. I’m not kidding. But if your water is brackish or otherwise not-delicious, invest in a water filter (whatever you can afford is going to be better than nothing).

6. Spa-ify your water. Keep a jug of water with cucumber slices, mint leaves, or citrus slices in the refrigerator for a low-sugar way to flavor your water. It’s a small thing, but doing this to my water makes me feel fancy.

7. Drink before you eat. People will debate this until the sun goes down, but it’s worth trying: Have a glass of water before every meal.

8. Get your phone to remind you. Water Your Body for Android and Waterlogged for iPhone are apps that nag you to re-hydrate. Or you could even set up a little timer to remind you. Whatever it takes!

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