{ INTRO: 6 Weeks to a Healthier YOU! }
{ Week 1: “Weekday Vegetarian” }
{ Week 3: Healthy Substitutions }
Let me start this post off by saying I don’t like water. I mean, I reeeaaallly don’t. like. water. I’ve gone years without drinking more than a few sips a day.
While planning these goals and committing to be healthier, I knew my water intake was something I needed to work on. Blech.
My drink of choice is milk. I drink more than the rest of my family combined! But with all of that milk comes all of those extra calories, and we are trying to move away from consuming large amounts of animal products. So au revoir, my gallon-of-milk-a-day lifestyle. It’s been real.
At first, I thought I’d tackle a gallon of water a day. But with any goal, I knew I needed it to be realistic, and something I would actually accomplish and not give up on. So for now I’m sticking to the age-old recommendation of 64 oz a day. That’s certainly not an accurate recommendation for everyone, and varies based on gender, climate, and lifestyle. But for me, it seemed like a good goal.
So, why on earth is drinking water so important? Let’s review some of the fabulicious benefits of drinking water.
1. It aids in digestion.
2. It keeps you full, and helps prevent overeating.
3. It helps filter toxins out of your body.
4. It helps you stay… regular. (Y’all know what I mean.)
5. It brings nutrients to our cells.
6. Every part of your body needs water to function (our bodies are 60% water!) so without it, we will literally start to shut down.
I’d say those are good enough reasons to focus on hydration! Also… I’ve had kidney stones before, and let me tell ya… they are no walk in the park. Unless your legs fell off. And you have to walk 100 miles. And the park is on fire.
So to avoid ever having that lovely experience again, I am officially a water-drinker! I started off kinda slow, but I’m up to my goal! The first few days were hard, and it seemed like such a chore. But I can really tell a difference with how my body feels. I have more energy and haven’t had my usual afternoon headaches. My skin broke out a bit at first, but is even better now. I looked it up, and that’s totally normal – it’s the toxins being flushed out of your system.
My poor body was deprived of fluids, and was struggling to function! Yikes. After such a short time, this goal has certainly become something I am determined to keep my whole life. I feel so much better!
Thanks for the great tip! Unlike you, thankfully, water is my drink of choice! But with a new baby it is SO easy to forget! I’m going to go get my water bottle RIGHT now (after I click “post comment”) 😉
That’s so great! I wish I loved water… hopefully it’ll grow on me 🙂