We all hear about how important it is to drink water, and lots of it, but why? Check out this post to learn why and how you should get your water in.
“Healthi formerly iTrackbites is an alternative to Weight Watchers. “
Water, water everywhere
Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight has been told how important it is to get in copious amounts of water. The goal is to drink double your body weight. For some, that's a very lofty goal, no matter what your weight is. But why is it so important?
Drink water to regulate your body temperature
Exercise and being in a hot environment causes us to sweat and then our body loses water. When you sweat, it helps to keep your body cool. However, there is only so much water that your body can sweat out. So you need to replenish the water that you are losing to regulate your body temperature. If you don't, you will become dehydrated, which will also cause a loss of electrolytes and plasma. However, dehydration is easy to fix, just drink plenty of water.
Drink water to protect your joints
If you drink water, it will help to lubricate and cushion all your joints, spinal cord, and tissues. This will make it much easier to enjoy physical activities. And taking care of your body when you are younger will help to protect against these issues as you age.
Drink water to help you “go”
Constipation isn't exactly a topic for a party, but it is a serious condition. It can range from uncomfortable to downright painful. Keeping hydrated is one way to prevent this. And regular bowel movements can also aid in weight loss.
Your kidneys also need plenty of water to function properly. The last thing anyone wants is kidney stones and staying properly hydrated is a way to avoid that issue.
If you are drinking enough water, your urine should be a very pale yellow to clear. The darker your urine, the “worse” your water consumption. This litmus test is an easy way to monitor if your water intake is sufficient.
There are many more health benefits to drinking water that you can check out on this post.
Ways to drink more water
While we know that drinking water is important, it can be a chore to get the required amount in. One complaint I often hear is it's “boring”. Infusing your water is a sure-fire way to combat that water boredom.
There are a million ways to infuse your water; fruit, veggies, herbs, even mixing in all three!
You can follow a flavor profile and stick to citrus fruits. Go old-school and simply throw some lemons in your water. Mix it up with combos that you would eat together, such as strawberries and pineapple.
I've found that these ingredients are the best for infusing water, in whatever combinations strike your fancy.
- oranges
- lemons
- limes
- pineapple
- strawberries
- blackberries
- blueberries
- mint
- cucumber
- fresh basil
- fresh mint
- fresh rosemary
- ginger
These are just some suggestions, the only limit is your imagination! Well, for the most part. Not all fruit infuses well. For instance, bananas would not be a good choice.
How do you infuse water to drink more water
There are several ways to infuse your water. You can set it up the night before and let it soak overnight. You can do it in the morning or as you drink it. Typically, you just let the fruit sit in the water. The fruit flavor will slowly seep into the water. You can alo refill your infused ingredients during the day.
What you put in it determines how long the ingredients will last. I am usually able to get a day or two, at least, out of an infusion. It won't hurt you if you use them too long, it just won't taste too great. You'll know when you need to change it up .
You can have the items free-floating in your water, or you can use an infuser water bottle or an infuser pitcher.
Methods to drink more water
Another trick to drinking more water is to drink through a straw. Research has shown that drinking through a straw makes you drink more. There are so many reusable straws out there, there's one for everyone. I personally like the hard plastic ones, but if you prefer silicone or metal, those are great too! It's a matter of personal choice.
That choice goes for your cup as well. I am hardly ever without my RTC 40 oz cup. I decorated mine with tons of Red Bubble stickers. I'm going to warn you though, Red Bubble is VERY addicting! There are stainless steel cups in all kinds of sizes. I personally prefer stainless steel as they are durable and keep my water ice cold during the day.
To help make sure I get all my water in and make great food choices, I've been using iTrackBites. Check out this post about all the fabulous iTrackBites plans to figure out which plan is best for you!
- cost: Healthi formerly iTrackBites costs $36 for the year (using this link for 40% off makes it $36 – use COACH_SMILEY to save!!), WW is $20+ for the month, and it's the same formula and less options
- choices: I can choose PointsPlus, Freestyle, or any other plan I want with Healthi formerly iTrackBites. Even with the new WW changes, they only offer 3 plan options (not PointsPlus).
- logs: You can export your tracker data by the week, month, or quarter with Healthi formerly iTrackBites. WW does not give you access to quarterly data.
- accuracy: I've found inaccurate info in the WW app due to members submitting and not paying attention to the right numbers. With Healthi formerly iTrackBites, I know if I see the green check, it's been verified as accurate. This puts my mind at ease!
The bottom line is no matter how you chose to drink your water, you must not stay thirsty my friends. Let me know in the comments what infusion recipes you come up with!