Water… The Elixir Of Life!

Water is essential for every cell, tissue, and organ in the body to function properly, helping the body in numerous ways, including:

• Keeps skin healthy and maintains elasticity (a.k.a. less wrinkles!)

• Transports oxygen and nutrients

• Balances electrolytes

• Detoxification

• Digestion

• Lubricates joints and cartilage

• Prevents headaches caused from dehydration

• Helps maintain energy

• Supports circulation

• And more!!

Making sure you get enough water every day is an important step in maintaining your health.

Most people have been told they should drink 6 to 8 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. That’s a reasonable goal. However, different people need different amounts of water to stay hydrated.

The best rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. For example, a person that weighs 140 pounds should have the goal of 70 ounces of water per day.

Just Water?

While plain water is best for staying hydrated, other drinks and foods can help, too. Water can be found in fruits and vegetables (for example, watermelon, tomatoes, and lettuce), and in soup broths. I’ll give you some fun recipes to make water more enjoyable in a minute, but let’s address the questions that always come up when I’m sharing this information.

Question #1 - What about soda?

Let’s start with looking at soda from a nutritional stand point. Have you looked at the sugar content?! If it’s regular soda, it’s a dessert, not a beverage.

Don’t even try to rationalize it by drinking “diet” soda. Now you have moved into a chemically ladened liquid.

The other important issue is that if your soda is caffeinated, its a diuretic… it causes you to lose more water than it is giving you! For every caffeinated soda that you drink in a day, you need to drink two additional glasses of water.

Question #2 - What about energy drinks?

This is one of my son’s favorite questions 🙄.

Energy drinks usually contain large amounts of caffeine. Also, they contain ingredients that overstimulate you (guarana, ginseng, or taurine). These are things your body doesn’t need. Most of these drinks are also high in added sugar.

According to doctors, children and teens should not have energy drinks.

Because these drinks have high amounts of caffeine, they do not offer good hydration.

Let’s Get To The Fun Part!

There are ways to liven up your water! Of course, there are electrolytes and other commercial flavors that you can add, but you can infuse your water to add great flavor and zest! Below are some great combinations, but be brave and try some of your own creations.

Wash fruits and vegetables well before cutting. In a large pitcher or glass containter, place the desired combination of fruit, veggies or herbs. Add 5 cups of water; ice is optional. Let rest in fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Add garnish, if desired.

🍓 Strawberry, Basil and Lemon

• 1/2 cup strawberries, stemmed and sliced (fresh or frozen)

• 5 large fresh basil leaves, torn

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

🍑 Peach, Blueberry and Basil

• 1 medium peach, sliced

• 1/2 cup blueberries

• 5 basil leaves

🍯 Honey, Cucumber and Mint

• 1/2 cup honeydew cubes

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

• 10 fresh mint leaves, torn

🍊 Blackberries, Orange, and Ginger

• ½ pint blackberries

• 1 orange, thinly sliced

• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

🍋 Blueberry, Lemon, and Rosemary

• 1/2 pint blueberries

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

🍍 Pineapple, Coconut, and Lime

• 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or frozen)

• 1 cup coconut chunks (fresh or frozen)

• 1 lime, thinly sliced

🍉 Watermelon, Kiwi, and Lime

• 1 cup watermelon cubes

• 1 kiwi, diced or cut into circles

• 1 lime, sliced into circles

🌿 Grapefruit, Pomegranate, and Mint

• 1 grapefruit, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

• 10 fresh mint leaves, torn

🥭 Mango, Raspberry, and Ginger

• 1 mango peeled and cubed

• 1/2 pint raspberries

• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

Note that water makes up more than half of your body weight. You lose water each day when you go to the bathroom, sweat, and even when you breathe. You lose water even faster when the weather is hot, when you’re physically active, or if you have a fever. Be sure to actively drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Be on the lookout for more health and wellness tips on my next blog.

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