How to Get Instant Energy

The old rule about drinking eight glasses of water a day may seem outdated, but thirstiness can often leads to drowsiness. When our cells perform daily functions, they leave behind waste products and metabolites in the bloodstream that can drag us down, says Eric Plasker, a chiropractor in Marietta, Georgia, and author of The 100 Year Lifestyle (Adams Media). "Most of them are washed out when we use the bathroom or sweat. But when we don't drink enough fluids, they can build up, making us feel tired, achy and irritable."

• Fill the largest glass or reusable water bottle (32 ounces is ideal) you own with water and keep it with you during the day, sipping often. When it's empty fill it up one more time, because you should aim to down two a day.
• Cut back on caffeinated beverages like soda, tea and coffee, and also alcohol, because they're diuretics that cancel out the benefits of drinking water and dehydrate you even more. For every caffeinated or alcoholic drink you have, guzzle an extra eight ounces of water.
• If plain H2O isn't your thing, try flavored water or seltzer.
• Mix nonfat milk (it counts as a fluid) into breakfast foods, like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pancakes, or smoothies.