Drink More Water
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
Loren Eiseley
Ideally, a daily intake should be around 8 cups per day. If this seems daunting, you might consider choosing one or more of the following ideas for upping your hydration:
- Drink water immediately upon waking up in the morning. After roughly 7 hours with no water, your body will be craving it.
- “Eat your water.” by consuming fruits and vegetables with a high water content. Some top picks include cucumber (96% water), zucchini (95% water), watermelon (92% water), and grapefruit (91% water).
- Carry a water bottle with you and sip water from it throughout the day.
- Set deadlines for yourself. For example, “Two cups of water by 10am. Four cups by noon. Six cups by 3:00. Finish all 8 oz. by 7:00”. This will remind you to start early and end a couple of hours before bedtime so you won’t be running to the bathroom multiple times in the night.
Why is a healthy intake of water so vital? Every single cell in our body needs water in order to function properly. Water flushes out toxins, cushions our organs, regulates temperature, wards off headaches, increases our energy, aids in weight loss, and much more! So, join me in this week’s challenge and drink up!
Ways to enhance plain water:
Add slices of limes, lemons, and oranges
Add a few tablespoons of fruit juice to plain or sparkling water
Try infused water, experimenting with various combinations to find what tastes best to you.
Some ideas are melon, cucumber, mint, berries, citrus, and basil.
Quick Recipe for Infused Water:
1/2 c. fresh or frozen berries
1 orange, thinly sliced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced.
Add to 4 c. water. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight. For more intense flavor, infuse for several days.