Are you drinking enough water? Not juice, soda, or tea... just wonderful, beautiful, plain H - 2 - O !
Many health professionals consider water to be the most important nutrient because so many of your body functions are dependent on proper hydration. The recommended amount that you should be consuming is half your body weight in ounces each day. This equates to 9 - 8oz glasses for a 150 pound person. Do you feel like you're getting enough?
For Step 3 of your New Year Nutrition over-haul I'm going to give you some simple homework:
Keep a log of your water intake for three days.
It's a great way to truly see if you are meeting your daily quota to ensure that you are properly hydrating yourself!
Keep scrolling to learn more about why water is ESSENTIAL to feeling (and looking) your best + Helpful Hydration Tips.
Increases Energy
Lubricates joints
Enhances skin health
Flushes toxins
Boosts brain power
Aids digestion
Regulates body temperature
Transports oxygen & nutrients
Cushions organs & tissues
Supports heart health
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Heachache
Fatigue
Dry skin & chapped lips
Dark urine
Constipation
Moodiness
Disrupted sleep
Joint pain
Migraines
Weight gain
Getting sick often
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* Helpful Hydration Tips *
* Always carry a BPA Free reusable water bottle with you to sip throughout the day. Make a point to refill it at least 3x/day.
"7 Best Water Bottles to Keep You Hydrated All Day" via Good Housekeeping
* If you find the flavor too bland, spruce it up with a squeeze of citrus, muddled fruit, cucumber and fresh basil or mint.
* While eating, limit H2O intake to 8oz. Too much water with meals will dilute your gastric juices, making it much more difficult for your body to digest food. This can lead to malabsorption of nutrients as well as burping, bloating, gas and acid reflux.
* Alcohol & caffeinated beverages are diuretics. Therefore be sure to drink an extra glass of water per beverage to balance out your hydration.
* Avoid consuming water from single-use plastic bottles whenever possible. These plastics leach chemicals that can be toxic to your health.
* Consume lots of fresh veggies & fruit to boost your hydration. * QUALITY is extremely important! Over exposure to the chemicals used to treat city water can cause many health implications. Therefore having a high quality home filtration system like the ones listed below is key.
9 Best Water Filters of 2020 via The Spruce Eats
* Filtering usually results in the stripping of beneficial minerals and electrolytes. You can easily add them back in with a dash of sea salt + squeeze of lemon. Or try these convenient electrolyte enhancers:
Happy Hydrating!