Water is so important! Our bodies are roughly 70% of the good stuff! So.. what are the top reasons I am a water pusher? Well, first I know the effects it has on the way I feel. I went from drinking only a glass or two per day (5 years ago) to now… drinking three litres a day, everyday. I’ve felt the effects!

Here are my top reasons I drink three litres of water per day:
 

It provides energy:

When you do not have enough water in your system you are sluggish and tired. Sometimes when I get busy in the afternoon I will start to feel a tired feeling coming on. I will fill my water bottle, drink it back and bam, I have my energy back! Try it! It works. Water has a rejuvenating quality.
 

Prevents headaches:

Often people just have a headache because they are dehydrated! Prevent this by staying hydrated. It is a simple fix to an annoying problem.
 

Helps with hunger and cravings:

Our bodies can be tricky! Especially when adapting to a new lifestyle. If you are new to healthy eating you may find your self craving unhealthy foods. This is a sign to up that water to 3L. Our minds often don’t know if we are hungry or if we just need a drink of water. Drinking water and always being hydrated prevents crazy cravings and fake hunger.
 

Your skin!!!!:

This one is HUGE!!! I find us crazy humans fully understand the importance of things better when we can see the results up front. Well, drink enough water for a couple of days in a row and take a peak at your skin. The difference is stunning!!! Your skin is your largest organ so when you are dehydrated your skin is dehydrated. You can look 5-10 yours older from just being so darn dehydrated. Prevent those fine lines from turning into deep wrinkles simply by drinking water. Hit the bottle…(the water bottle that is).
 

Get waste movin’:

Now this one ladies isn’t pretty but I have to go here for one second. In adapting to a healthy eating plan like the DAMY Heath Programs you are eating a lot of fiber. This is amazing and is what you should be doing. Now, you have to do your part… With fiber you must drink water. If you do not your system can not eliminate properly. You will find yourself constipated. I like to think as I’m drinking my water I’m flushing out all the junk. Get what I am saying here?
 

Detoxifies the Body: (see above notes)

 

Revs that metabolism:

Water is extremely useful to keep your metabolism running high which we all know is very important when we are talking about shedding fat.
 

Transport nutrients:

Water is very important in transporting nutrients and oxygen to every cell in our bodies. Water keeps every cell hydrated to keep our body at that 70% water that we love. It maintains our balance.

Great!! Now I have you all so motivated you want to drink water straight from the tap, but we know your co-workers will find that just odd. So here are some better ideas on how to get that water in!
 

Carry your water bottle around with you everywhere:

Stainless steel and free of chemicals is the only way to go! Now if you are in an office at a desk or at home you are free to use a large glass. I suggest stainless steel and BPA free for the obvious reasons but the main reason I love my water bottle is because it takes the counting work out of it. You can buy a bottle in 500ml or 1 liter size. All you have to do is know how many times a day to fill it up. Now, for me I am a journal-er. I have a little note pad by my sink I check off each time I drink a bottle. I don’t ever have to worry about not getting it in or counting. I always have the bottle and know how many times in the day I have filled it.

 

Spread it out through out the day:

Take your time! You have all day to get it in. Just always have it on hand and you will be shocked at how fast you get your water in during the day. Space it out and take your time.
 

Routine forms habits:

Like most things when changing your lifestyle you have to just make yourself do it for a couple days. How ever you have to make yourself for the first couple days, just get through it. You will love it so much you will keep it up and it will just be what you do now! Easy peasy. For more information on how to get and stay motivated check out The Truth About Motivation.
 

Things to Avoid

 
Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink:
You do not want to wait until you are thirsty to drink water. By then you are already dehydrated and your body is sending you signals like “hello, I need water here.” By then you are getting tired, you’re craving sugar and you have a headache! Avoid all this not fun stuff just by staying hydrated.
 
This rumor drives me NUTS:
Any drink that contains caffeine CAN NOT replace your daily recommended water intake. Caffeine is a diuretic. A diuretic causes the body to eliminate water. So if you have a coffee or tea during the day this does not count towards your water intake (unless you are speaking of a herb tea with no caffeine or diuretic properties).
 
 

How to Flavor Your Water Naturally

Now I am not someone that needs to spice up my water but sometimes I just like to shake it up! These recipes are especially great for those that are used to drinking juice or pop and are trying to make a change. Store bought water flavor packets (crystal light, etc…) contain chemicals. These chemicals have been linked to very serious health problems. I am not going to tell you not to drink them but I will never suggest them to anyone. It is something I believe very strongly in my heart that using these products on a regular basis is extremely bad for your health (*if you are looking for the science and studies behind my distain check out The Truth About Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners…)

The best idea is to flavor your water with natural fruits, veggies, extracts and herbs!!! I love this idea!! You can use frozen or fresh fruit and both work great. If you want a little splash of sweet add some stevia. Don’t go crazy and use stevia in every bottle but once or twice a day is fine (*I want you to break your dependency on sugar not replace it).

Use these great ideas as much as you would like! They are fun and most importantly, all natural!!!
It is a great idea to make up a pitcher of your flavors of water the night before. Leave it in the fridge and let all the flavors marinade! In the morning fill up your water bottle and you are on your way! This way you will get the most flavor. I find if I use frozen berries I can get away with just tossing some in my water bottle and letting them melt as I drink. Even this way they release so much flavour. For the fresh fruit it is best to make the night before or a couple hours before at least. Listed are my favorite natural flavored water recipes. Feel free to make your own using:

• Fruits (frozen or fresh)
• Herbs
• Extracts (real from the baking section)
• Veggies

 

My Favorite Natural Flavoured Water Recipes

• Grapefruit/mandarin (fresh sliced and mulled)
• Pomegranate/blueberry (frozen)
• Cranberry/Orange (frozen cranberries and orange slices)
• Lemon/ginger (grated ginger and fresh squeezed lemon)
• Cucumber (sliced – This is really refreshing)
• Pineapple slices/fresh Thai coconut water (this makes me feel like I am having a Pina Colda in the afternoon. With the added benefits of the electrolytes in the coconut water, it’s a must try)
• Strawberries/vanilla extract/stevia (this is a really nice flavor and tastes so good!)
• Apple (slices – So fresh tasting)
• Mango/kiwi (a light tropical taste)
• Blueberries (add frozen to your water bottle and let melt – You have yummy blueberry water)
• Lime/mint leaf (mojito flavor! Again – tastes like a cocktail! crush the mint a bit to release the flavors)
• Fruit herb teas (without caffeine – I love raspberry thriller)

 
If you don’t want to have the full blown natural flavored water try just adding some frozen berries or citrus zest to the water when you make your next batch of ice cubes. When frozen you have little natural flavoured cubes to pop in your water glass! They look amazing and release a really nice flavour!
 

 

Make your own natural pop:

Trying to ween yourself off pop? Or just want a little treat? Make your own! Follow any of the above suggested flavors to sparkling water with a packet of stevia! That easy! And so good! *Tip – use sparkling water, other things like club soda have added “junk.”

These natural, homemade pop creations are wonderful for your next cocktail! Impress your friends by making natural, beautiful cocktails. Just add a splash of vodka to any of these ideas and you have a nice, “healthy as it is going to get” cocktail! The fresh fruit looks so wonderful in a clear glass and these drinks are better for you than any mix or pop out there!

Enjoy and have fun with this! It is all about finding pleasure in the simple things. Sit down and enjoy your natural pop or naturally flavored water in a fancy glass. You deserve it.