Wellness Wednesday

On my journey to wholeness, I've tried to make small changes which bring about a big difference. One of the easiest things I've done is increase my water consumption and eliminate soda and high sugar drinks. The difference has been astonishing! 

Why drink water?

We all know the recommended daily intake of water is 8 ounces but do you know all the reasons why water is so important? Well, I didn’t and I needed a reason to try. After scouring the internet and reading/comparing countless articles, here are the top reasons appearing more than 3 (most the time 4!) times out of the 12 articles I read:

1. Water helps you lose and maintain weight.
2. Improves skin by moisturizing and clearing complexion.
3. Keeps things moving in your digestive tract- relieves constipation, indigestion and eliminates harmful bacteria.
4. Lubricates your joints and muscles so there is less pain and better function.
5. Alleviates and prevents headaches. Already have a headache? Water is also a natural remedy!
6. Helps prevent certain kinds of cancer including bladder, kidney and colon.
7. Natural immune booster! Drinking more water can help prevent you from getting sick!
8. Increases results from workouts (because your body is not retaining water due to dehydration)
9. It’s good for heart health and kidney function.  

And the number 10 reason (which is the most important in my mind)

        10. Water is essential to survival. Without it, you die. Period. 

Now you may ask, but how much water should I drink every day? 

It used to be 8 – 8 oz glasses a day. That isn’t really accurate since we all have very different bodies. Instead, the formula I found again and again is half your body weight in ounces. (Example- I weigh 140 so I need a minimum of 70 ounces of water per day.) If you are active, you need to increase water consumption to 2/3 an ounce per pound of weight. (Example- 140 x .67 =93 ounces of water- most of the time I just make it an even 100 ounces a day.)

How do you know if you are dehydrated? 

If you aren’t using the bathroom frequently or your urine isn’t almost clear, you are dehydrated.

How in the world am I going to drink 100 ounce of water a day?!?

This is the easy part. Keep water with you ALL THE TIME! Always. Whenever you see your water, take a big drink. First thing you do in the morning? Drink a glass of water. Before you eat a meal? Drink a glass of water. Does this sound too difficult? More of a visual learner (like me)? If so, here is an easy solution for you!

See? Isn’t that easy? 

Do other drinks (i.e. soda/juice) count towards my water consumption?

This depends on who you talk too. My thoughts are, is it water? If not, than no, it does not count towards your WATER goal.

Start small. Start simple. Start today. 

Don’t become overwhelmed thinking about trying to consume 100 ounces on your first day. Make this a journey towards wholeness and creating health for your entire being. Go drink a big glass of water…right now. Don’t wait- your body, weight, muscles, digestive tract, heart, kidneys (among other things)- will thank you!

Happy Wednesday! I hope your day is filled with happiness!

~Stef

Thought for the week:

(I don’t claim to be an expert, just a lover of new and useful information. I hope you enjoy new and useful information too! If you have a question, comment or suggestion, please send it my way.)