If there’s one thing to express strongly, it would be that skipping meals is not the key to losing weight or maintaining weight. In my thirties my weight began to increase slowly and before I knew, sped up. Realizing that my metabolism was shifting, random pizza nights on any given night or food fests at steak houses were becoming a thing of the past. When making the decision to eat clean I thought it would be painful. For someone, as myself, that is a major foodie and came into some poor food habits from time to time, I was not looking forward to the serious changes. I first increased my water intake and decreased all other beverages as well as lowering my alcohol intake significantly and completely cutting out sodas.
We’re all aware of the benefits of water that do wonders for our skin and organs. To name a few it flushes out toxins, improves skin complexion, boosts the immune system, and puts you in a fantastic mood. To calculate the amount of water you should be drinking daily, take .5 and multiply that by your weight. It will give you the number in ounces you should be giving your body. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Here are a couple of tips to make your water intake more exciting. I suggest trying to drink as much water as possible in pure form but to spice up your weekly intake you can take fruits, herbs, or vegetables, slice them during the evening, place a pitcher of water (covered or uncovered) into the refrigerator. Let the water sit for 2-8 hours dependent on how strong you like the flavor. In the morning, you’ll have cool crisp fruit infused water ready to take for on the go or for relaxation at home. There are so many variations you can experiment with at home. If you have children this can be a fun activity to have them help with. Not to mention, the added bonus of setting healthy visuals for them to see. It’s excellent for gatherings and guests too. I highly recommend filtered water and certified organic, herb, fruit, and vegetable. Happy drinking!
- Cucumber and Fresh Mint
- Blueberries and Strawberries
- Oranges
- Apple and Cinnamon Sticks
- Frozen Grapes and Blackberries
- Lavender and Lemon
- Watermelon, Pineapple, and Apple
- Peach and Cantaloupe
~M