PIMP MY WATER

The month of January we focused on drinking water.  There are many different suggestions and theories on how much to drink and the best thing to do is to listen to your body to learn what it needs, but as a general easy to remember rule we said minimum 8, 8 ounce glasses each day.  I think we all understand by now the importance of water in our bodies, but let me just recap some of the benefits:

RESTORATION – Water is roughly 60% of our body weight.  We are constantly losing water through breathing, sweating, etc.  Drinking water regularly helps to restore what’s lost and keep our body in balance. Water helps transport nutrients throughout the body, aids in digestion, and helps regulate body temperature.

LOOK BETTER – water helps flush toxins out of the body so skin looks younger clearer with less wrinkles.

WEIGHT CONTROL –drinking adequate amounts of water helps you feel full thus eating less.

ENERGY – fatigue is one of the first signs of dehydration.  Drinking water helps to keep you hydrated and energetic.

SO NOW THAT WE ARE IN THE HABIT OF DRINKING WATER REGULARLY, IT’S TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.  LET’S PIMP IT UP AND GIVE IT SOME FLAVA!

There are so many different spices, herbs, teas and fruits that can be added to water for a variety of tastes and additional health benefits.  Remember this is WITHOUT ADDED SUGAR.   The possibilities are endless.  These are only a few ideas so feel free to add your suggestions in comments.

Here are a few of my faves:  

• LEMON – Adding fresh squeezed lemon juice to water not only tastes great but also has several health benefits. According to the Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/17/lemon-water-benefits_n_4980265.html, lemon water helps with:  

               Constipation Help
               Stop UTIs
               Battle Breath
               Weight Loss
               Freshen Your Skin
               Pump Up The Immune System
               Recover From A Workout
               Helps With Aches And Pains
               Reduces Phlegm
               Strengthens The Brain
               Cleanses The Liver

• GREEN TEA – Green tea is my favorite additive to water. I drink it everyday and for good reason. Green tea has a high catechin content. According to WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea, catechins are antioxidants that fight and may even prevent cell damage. Green tea is not processed much before it's poured in your cup, so it's rich in catechins. 

• HERBAL TEA – If you go to any supermarket you can see the wide variety of added herbs and spices that are available in teas.  How about trying some fresh herbs instead.  My favorite is mint because it freshens breath and according to organicfacts.net, https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-mint.html, it aids in digestion:  Mint is a great appetizer or palate cleanser, and it promotes digestion. It also soothes stomachs in cases of indigestion or inflammation. When you feel sick to your stomach, drinking a cup of mint tea can give you relief. Also, if you are someone who travels long distances via plane or boat, the menthol oil derived from mint can be very soothing for nausea and related motion sickness. As with trying anything new, make sure you do your homework and research the herb before adding it blindly to your water as some may have side effects or interfere with other medicines you may be taking.

• CUCUMBERS – You walk into any fancy hotel nowadays and you will see the table setup with the fruity and/or cucumber water.  Cucumbers taste good so you are more likely to drink up.  According to Livestrong.com, http://www.livestrong.com/article/482916-why-drink-cucumber-water/, they provide vitamin K:  Adding cucumber to your water also helps you consume more vitamin K, as long as you use unpeeled cucumber and eat the cucumber slices along with the water. Vitamin K promotes healthy blood flow and helps you heal after injury, because it allows you to form blood clots essential to the healing process. Adding vitamin K to your diet also benefits bone health, because the vitamin activates proteins essential for healthy bone tissue.

• SPICES - TUMERIC, GINGER & CINNAMON – These spices taste great and with their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may help to fight off inflammation and illness.

Now these are just some of my favorites and many of these can be mixed together for a 1-2 punch (no pun intended).  What are some of yours? 

Raise your cup and drink up.

If you are thinking about getting back in shape we are here to help.  Take the first step and COMMIT TO BFIT.   Call me at 770-845-0527.  Check us out at www.bfitathleticclub.com.

Nancy

NASM CPT

CF L1