Do I REALLY Have to Drink Water?
Yes. You do. We all know that drinking water is important, but the reasons why are not always so clear. And with so many other beverages at your finger tips, it’s easy to bypass the plain, boring water unless you really have a buy in as to why it’s so necessary.
Reasons Why You Should Drink Water
- Weight Loss - Drinking water is one of the best tools for weight loss! First of all, it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn’t have any calories. But it’s also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar.
- Heart Healthy - Drinking water, a good amount of water, could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.
- Energy – Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired — even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated — and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
- Headache Cure - Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it’s simply a matter of not drinking water enough. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
- Healthy Skin - Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won’t happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.
- Digestive Problems - Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).
- Cleansing - Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.
- Cancer Risk - Related to the digestive system item above, drinking water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.
- Better Exercise- Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure you are drinking water before, during and after exercise.
How Much Water is Enough?
To figure out how much water you need to drink daily, simply divide your weight in half and the answer is the number of ounces you need. So for me, that’s 114/2=57 oz. which is seven 8 oz glasses per day. If you’ve never measured out your water, be sure you do! Most people think a ‘glass’ of water is much more than it actually is. :) (hint: it’s more like the short glass, not the tall one)
When Should I drink my Water?

My daily water intake schedule goes like this:
- One warm glass of water with fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning, followed by my workout and additional glass of water throughout. Wait 20 min while prepping breakfast….
- Breakfast. Wait 30 min then…
- Water, at least 16 oz.
- Lunch
- Water, at least 16 oz.
- Dinner
- Water, at least 8-10 oz (can’t drink too much before bed!!)
- Bed
What’s This I Hear About Lemon Water?

HOW TO DO IT: You should be using purified water and it should be warm-lukewarm not scalding hot. You want to avoid ice cold water, since that can be a lot for your body to process and it takes more energy to process ice cold water than the warm. Always use fresh lemons, organic if possible, never bottled lemon juice. I squeeze 1/2 a lemon with each glass and I drink it down first thing before I eat a single thing, or workout, etc.
Can I Add Anything to My Water?

- Give a Squeeze: Add fresh citrus juice, lemon, orange or lime
- Infuse: Fill a large jug with water, add sliced fruit (try citrus, berries, melon or pineapple); refrigerate overnight.
- Leaf It: Tear up some fresh mint or basil leaves and steep in water before drinking.
- Cuke It: Add sliced cucumber!
- Tea Time: Any herbal tea is a great way to add flavor and can be served hot or cold.
What About Coffee and Caffeinated Teas?

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