Ways to make drinking water more appealing for supporting your urinary health

Most people choose beverages for reasons little to do with thirst. It could be the stimulating effect of caffeine in coffee, tea, or sodas. At mealtimes, they may choose fluids such as soups, milk, juice, or other beverages. They believe they need added nutrients in sugar-sweetened “vitamin” waters. They think they need the carbohydrate in sports drinks for all physical activities – few exercisers do unless they vigorously exercise for at least 90 minutes. They drink hot beverages to warm up or cold ones to cool off. Or they drink for pleasure – for the aroma of the coffee, the sweet taste of sugar, or the euphoria of alcohol. On each of these drinking occasions, with or without their awareness, people make choices between high-calorie and lower-calorie beverages.

But what is the one beverage not mentioned above? The one beverage composing approximately 60% of our body weight is a transport vehicle for all the nutrients and wastes; without it, our cells would die quickly.

That one beverage is water. Water is our most indispensable nutrient – we don’t make or store it, and without water, it would only be a matter of days before we would succumb to death.   

Why water is important for urinary health

Your urinary tract relies on you drinking water, every day. Sufficient water intake is required to help flush out the urinary tract to function properly. Not drinking enough water will lead to more concentrated urine and a reduced urine output. Your kidneys depend on you drinking water throughout the day. Every minute, about 1 liter of blood passes through the kidneys carrying toxins and wastes that require filtration to from urine. Drinking water is essential for dilating blood vessels that help kidneys to function as they should. Even your bladder benefits from sufficient water intake. That’s because drinking more water fills the bladder more quickly during the day sending the signal to empty the bladder more frequently. This helps flush out the bladder regularly keeping it healthy. 

Our water needs vary widely among individuals according to the foods a person eats, the air temperature and humidity, the altitude, and activity level. A recent CivicScience polling found that almost half (47%) of U.S. adults drink far below the recommended daily water intake to support good health, including urinary health. 

The recommended water intake is that the average man needs about 15.5 cups of fluid daily, while the average woman requires about 11.5 cups. Insufficient water intake can result in extreme fatigue, headache, digestive problems, and a general feeling of dehydration. Chronic dehydration can also weaken your immune system.

Yet many people will drink calorie-laden beverages that can contribute to weight gain or are not drinking adequate fluid, to begin with. In addition, they usually choose not to drink plain water because they don’t like the taste or find it boring.

How to make plain water less boring

How can water be jazzed up and not quite so boring? What can be done to make water more appealing without resorting to artificial sweeteners? Here are some ideas for adding interest to the taste of plain water using natural ingredients without added sugars or artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors:

• Steep a cinnamon stick in a cup of water. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of this concentrate with a glass of ice and water to add flavor. Add a slice or two of fresh apples to the mix for variety.

• Add a splash of 100% fruit juice to flavor and naturally color plain or sparkling water.

• Add fresh fruit flavor, such as berries or melons, to your water with a water infuser.

• Crush fresh herbs and steep them in a glass or pitcher of water in the refrigerator overnight. Add fresh citrus slices, such as lemon or lime, before drinking.

• Try a mixture of herbs and fruit, such as strawberries and basil or watermelon and mint, to add a more complex flavor to water.

• Add flavored ice cubes to your water. For example, freeze coffee and water with berries, pureed pineapple, or even whole grapes, and use them instead of regular ice cubes to cool and flavor your water.

• Add cucumbers slice to your water to give it a subtle, refreshing taste.

• Brew extra coffee or herb tea, refrigerate, and enjoy it chilled or over ice.

Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with a vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy.  Dr. Samadi is a medical contributor to NewsMax TV and is also the author of The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s Guide to Men’s Health and Wellness, available online both on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911.