In my recent article of Whole Life Challenge, 6 Healthy Ways to Feel Awesome in Time for Spring Break, I touch on a few things that you can do to reset your body and your habits so spring and summer find you out in the world, feeling active, happy, confident, and healthy.
These include:
- Drinking Lots of Water
- Limit Fatty Meat and Dairy Products
- Avoid Breads and Processed Carbs
- Move Your Body
Hopefully you find the tips in this article really helpful to reset!
Did you know that on average, Americans drink a little more than four glasses a day!! By not hydrating yourself adequately you can affect your workout, your weight — even your brainpower. Here are just a few quick tips to help you hydrate!
1. Make drinking water a daily habit
2. Feeling thirsty or experiencing dry mouth, flushed skin, fatigue, or head-ache can all be signs of dehydration. Hydrate the body with some water before reaching for panadol
3. Plain water too boring, try adding fresh lemon or lime juice or a handful of berries.
4. To increase your fluid intake, enjoy a few pieces of fruit a day, as well as some
homemade vegetable soup. For example 1 cup cooked sliced zucchini contains 6 oz of water!!
5. If you find you get to the end of day without finishing your water bottle set a timer as a reminder to drink a glass of water every hour or so!
Hydration is probably the most underestimated nutrient when it comes to weight loss! Drinking plenty of water really is one of the easiest steps you can take to set yourself up for a healthier body and mind!!
The thing about hydration is, you don’t need to wait until you are thirsty! You should be aiming to drink water consistently throughout the day. The amount you should consume depends on a number of factors, such as your body type, your activity levels and the climate but as a general rule I recommend drinking between 2 - 4 litres a day! Yes I know that sounds like a lot but trust me it is doable! Ensure you always carry a water bottle with you and if you find water boring, add some flavour by adding lemon or berries to your water! And trust me in now time you will be easily smashing 3 litres a day!
The benefits you will reap from increasing your daily intake of water will surprise you!
Improves Digestive Function
Water plays a big role in your body’s removal of waste through the digestive tract and your digestive tract needs water to function properly! Therefore, if your body isn’t receive a sufficient amount of water it can lead to chronic constipation!
Helps with Mid-Day Fatigue
Fatigue and tiredness is a common effect from dehydration and to make things worse most people reach for a caffeinated drink such as coffee which yes will keep you awake but as it’s a mild diuretic this will remove water from your body making the situation worse!
Mood Enhancer
Surprising but very true! Dehydration affects your overall mood as when your body is thirty it is in a state of shortage and won’t run effectively therefore making you crankier and moodier! Hydration = positive vibes!
I could go on for days about all the benefits but hopefully the ones above give you a little insight into how amazing water really is! If you are looking for more tips and information about water, click here to purchase a copy of My Nutrition Ebook where I give you a detailed rundown on everything water related!
References: https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
