Day Three’s Challenge:
Drink more water.
The 8 Glasses Myth
We all know that we’re supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day. However, a better calculation is to drink half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weight 120 pounds, you should drink 60 ounces of water a day. If you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces of water a day.
You need water to not only stay hydrated, but also for your body to function properly. If you don’t already drink the recommended amount, then work up to it over the next week to ten days. Start with 6 or 8 ounces when you first wake up in the morning. Drink 6 or 8 ounces before bed each night. Drink water with your lunch instead of soda, coffee, or tea. Sip water before and after lunch as you work, and then again after dinner. I’ve gotten to the point where almost the only beverage I consume is water – even with breakfast. (I occasionally drink hot tea).
Flavoring Your Water
I like my water room temperature and with a wedge of lemon. If the taste of water is what is stopping you from drinking it, consider adding lemon, lime, slices of cucumber, and/or berries to it. I don’t recommend adding flavor packets as a regular practice, although once in a while is not so bad. Many of those contain quite a lot of sugar, which is not at all what you want in your water if it is to do its job of hydrating and lubricating. (As a side note, did you know that a can of soda contains 10 packets of sugar!).
Don’t like the taste of your tap water? Water is inexpensive: you can buy a gallon (which is enough for 1+ days, depending on how much you need to drink) for under $1. So drink up!
Related articles:
Small Steps to Healthy Eating
10 Things you Didn’t Know About the Benefits of Lemon Water
You Should Drink Warm Water with Lemon
See What Happens When You Drink Water on an Empty Stomach
Water Hydration Tips
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