Water Is The Best!

 

Welcome to Day 4 of the Hydration Mini-Series!

When it comes to hydration, not all liquids are the same!  From artificial sweeteners to caffeine, the best choice will always be water.  

But, many of us can't live without that early morning coffee or just want something a little fizzy to drink.

Let's take a look at both healthy and unhealthy hydration.

Healthy Hydration

 

When you're looking for healthy hydration or things that are going to improve your hydration, you don't want sugar laden or artificial sweetener overload.  Below is a list of some healthy hydration substitutions.  Remember, these are occasional substitutions, not your “go-to”:

•        Tea (unsweetened)
•         Hot tea (unsweetened)
•         Coffee (proven to not be a diuretic)
•        Infused water
•         Tonic water with infused water (especially if you like the bubbles)

**If drinking tea or coffe, please be mindful and limit your caffeine intake.

 

Unhealthy Hydration

-        Some of our favorite drinks today are loaded with unhealthy ingredients.  Sodas are really unhealthy.  They are full of sugar, syrups, and just “sludgy stuff”.  These things tear your insides up and slow everything down.  Fruit juices, even if they're diet fruit juices, still contain a considerable amount of sugar.  Fruit juices can really slow your body down and cause you to gain weight instead of lose.

-          Alternative milk products, like almond, coconut, and flax milk should be consumed in moderation.  These products have high amounts of fat.

-        Diet sodas are controversial.  But having a diet every now and again instead of it’s high sugar alterative is acceptable.

-        Energy drinks are something else that should also be consumed rarely.  These typically have high amounts of sugar and caffeine.  You might have energy, but all that sugar will surely increase your calorie intake for the day.

-        Sports drinks are acceptable in moderation, but electrolytes should be managed through whole foods.  If you must have a sports drink, I recommend Powerade Zero or Gatorade Zero.  (Pickle juice is actually a great way to balance your electrolytes, in lieu of the sports drinks.  Personally, I would even select pickle juice over sports drinks.)

-        Alcohol can be consumed in moderation.  There are studies that show a glass of red wine can provide heart health benefits.  But in terms of hydration, alcohol is NOT going to hydrate and bless your body.

Overall, you need to be sticking primarily to water and infused water.  No extra sugar, preservatives, dyes, etc.  

 

As a certified Christian health coach, I recommend that everyone drinks at least 64 ounces of water daily.  I encourage people to drink 80-100 ounces.  **Please consult your doctor about your water intake to ensure that it is safe for you to consume increased amounts of water. 

 Just imagine how much better your body systems will function with the clean water.  Think about how much better you'll feel.

Remember, if you hydrate with things other than the healthy hydration that we talked about, just one of those a day, you increase your chances for a disease by 20%, and you also are adding to obesity.  You're also adding to your chances of getting cancer. Water really is the best choice!

 

Today, I encourage to fill up that favorite water bottle that you picked out yesterday.  If you haven’t done that or missed Day 1, you can find that information here.  In the days ahead, don’t be shy about switching out that water bottle for another favorite to keep things fresh.  Or go buy another one!  Reward yourself for this healthy shift to more water!

 --> I want you to continue to track your daily water intake.

 I also want you to research what you are using in your water currently, paying close attention to the misleading “zero” wording, and pay attention to any fraction carbs and servings.  If you are having trouble, please reach out to me by commenting on this post or in messenger .  Think about what you are using and based on your research, decide if you are doing the best you can.

Remember, if you aren’t drinking enough water each day, that your body will be forced to use “recycled” water. It would be like continuing to use the same bath water repeatedly.

 è Come back here tomorrow for Day 5 of the Hydration Mini-Series where we will discuss FAQs and I'll address any questions I've gotten 

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