We all know that water is vital to health! So much so that without it we could not survive, yet many people do not take drinking water as seriously as they should. If you're not drinking enough water here are a few side effects you may be already experiencing or may experience in the near future:

Effects of dehydration:

Weight gain

Headaches

Tiredness

Constipation

Sore back

Muscle cramping

Dry skin

Poor muscle tone

Kidney stones

Water retention

Heartburn

Stomach aches

Depression

Irritation

Nausea

Ready to start drinking more water?

Here are some tips to get you started.

1) At the start of each day fill a couple of bottles of your required amount for the day. This will prevent you from guessing at the end of the day if you've had enough

2)If you don't enjoy the taste of water, try adding a couple of lemon slices

3)Set yourself timers to remind yourself. It's so easy to get caught up in a project for several hours and then realise you haven't had a sip in hours

4)Try drinking herbal teas. There are several out there, so even if you've tried a couple and didn't like then, keep trying. A few of my favourites are chamomile, peppermint, ginger, fennel, and dandelion.

5)Keep bottles in your bag, car, office, where ever you spend time

Once you find what strategies work best for you, the next step is to not become frustrated by the amount of times you find yourself running to the bathroom. This will slow down after a few days. What's happening is your body is actually ridding itself of excess water. Over the period of time that you haven't been drinking enough water your body has gone in to 'survival mode,' it simply wasn't sure if or when you were going to give it more water, therefore it held on to the little water it had. You may have seen the visible signs through being bloated or puffy around your ankles, hips and thighs.

Remember water is vital to survival, treat your water intake with the same seriousness that you would if you were ill and were prescribed medication.

Go on have a drink of water!