This article is written by Karissa Tunis
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Recently I have made more of an effort to take better care of myself. As a stay-at-home-working-mom, my days can get very crazy as I try to juggle a lot of different tasks!
I wish I could say that I have started working out every day, I’m getting more sleep, eating right, etc……
But the truth is I am not, nor am I in a place to revamp my entire daily routine. So, I would like to find some little tricks and tips that I can do over time to help me reach my personal goals and feel better overall.
Someday I hope to be in great shape and in much better health, but for me right now, it is about baby steps.
I once heard someone say “You can either eat your calories or you can drink them”. For some reason I seem to be doing both. I’ve realized that I am an emotional eater, so I decided to tackle the beverages first.
So my first baby step is watching what I drink.
I love to start my morning with a delicious flavored coffee, maybe enjoy a sugary soda or tea with lunch, and to relax in the evening with a glass of wine. But before I know it, these extra unhealthy beverages multiply giving me lots of extra calories, but adding no health benefits!
So my new rule for myself – 2 drink minimum/2 drink maximum.
My new goal is to drink a minimum of 2 glasses of water with each meal. When you hear the recommended number of 8 it can seem like a lot. So for me, I am breaking it down.
I recently bought new glasses that are skinny and tall. Visually they do not look like much, but when I measured them they actually hold up to 1.5 cups of water. So with each meal if I drink just 2, I will actually be getting 24 oz. (3 cups) of water! And with that comes many, much-needed, benefits!
If I can manage my drinking rule with each meal I will actually be taking in 9 cups of water a day. So any other glasses of water apart from meal time are a bonus!
Now to the serious self-control: 2 fun drink maximum. My plan is to try to keep the fun tasty drinks to a 2 serving max. Please do not judge me if I have a few extras from time to time, but I think setting a daily limit is a good place to start.
When I researched the benefits of drinking more water, this is what I learned:
- Portion Control – By drinking water 30 min before, or with a meal, we fill up our stomachs allowing us to feel full with less food.
- Glowing Skin – Dehydration makes your skin looked wrinkled and dry, so drink up to help lock in that moisture.
- Stay Regular – Adequate H2O helps to keep your GI track and Kidneys flowing properly
- Muscle Hydration – by keeping your muscles hydrated you will help reduce muscle soreness (great for moms that are lifting kids all day, or decide to take that random spin class)
- Healthy Brain – Our brains are made up of about 75% water. Hydration supports healthy brain cells, improves concentration, helps to balance mood and emotions, improves quality of sleep, maintains memory function, eliminates toxins and free radicals from blood, and improves blood flow and oxygen to the brain
And all of these benefits I desperately need!! So who wants to take my water challenge with me?
Incase you are not a fan of just plain water, here are a few suggestions to spice up your drink – you could try to add some herbs such as mint, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, or lavender. You can also add some fruit such as berries, citrus, melons, pineapple, strawberries, or any other favorites. Pinterest has a lot of really good recipes for flavored water 🙂
For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Healthy collection