I discovered this hack one night because I decided that I wanted to be fancy and drink my water out of my Starbucks glass. I originally bought the glass to drink my homemade iced coffee out of, but I've since re-purposed it for this hack. So here we go, drink your water through a straw. Yes, it's that simple. I drank my water out of my Starbucks glass, which came complete with a lid and straw. The glass can hold about 20oz of water, 16oz if you include ice, and repeatedly I'd finished my water in seemingly two gulps. In order to drink that amount of water without a straw, in that same time frame, I'd have to be actively focused on chugging it.

It was really an "a-ha" moment once I actually paid attention to my consumption. In retrospect, I remember being out at restaurants and drinking glass after glass of water through straws. Then other times, if I were not given a straw my glass would often sit nearly full with only condensation beads.

So if you're struggling to drink enough water remember to add a straw to your cup, or carry a water bottle with you that has a straw. Watch how easy it makes getting enough water in.

Camelbak Water Bottle; Amazon.com

So now that we've covered the hack, let's discuss just how much water you should be drinking through these straws. A typical recommendation is to drink 8, 8oz glasses of water per day. However that's too blanket of a recommendation and doesn't take into effect your health, goals, and level of activity. Naturally if you sweat more, you will need to re-hydrate your body and replenish those fluids. So on days you exercise or are particularly active attempt to consume one gallon of water. On rest days attempt to drink just half that, or the typical recommended amount of 64oz.

Don't forget that not only does drinking water count towards your water consumption, but also eating water enriched foods such as leafy greens like kale, and fruits like watermelon.