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Water

 

 

Summer! It’s official. My daughter just finished the 10th grade, the garden is planted (mostly, it’s still evolving, I’m now obsessed with herbs), and the temperatures are quickly rising. As much as I love the warm weather, I know how quickly I can become dehydrated, which goes for you, too. Here are some tips to keep yourself happily hydrated:

 

  • STOP drinking water from disposable plastic bottles. NOW.  PLEASE. Plastic water bottles have been proven time and time again to be dangerous. Any plastic should off-gas for a minimum of 30 days before it is used for food packaging. Guess what? It never is. It’s used immediately, which means you are taking in plastic particulates each time you drink.  Get a BPA-free bottle, or better yet, get a glass one.  Here is my favorite Bamboo and glass bottle. (Just order the top that screws off, the other styles didn’t work, I tried. The company was great about shipping out replacements, though.)
  • Drink distilled water. This water pulls out the inorganic minerals that literally become sediment in our systems. I know there is a lot out there that says it will leach your necessary minerals, but it does not. It can actually diminish your spider veins if you drink enough of it per day! If you can’t get distilled easily, the next best thing is reverse osmosis.
  • When you first wake up, drink 16 ounces of water with fresh lemon to get your cells hydrated, and signal to your body that you’ll be taking in food again soon.
  • Drink the right amount for your body. If you weigh over 135 pounds, the “8 glasses per day” rule may not be enough. Here’s how to find out how much you need: Take your weight in pounds, divide the number in half. That’s how many ounces per day you need.  i.e.; 175 pounds ÷ 2 = 87.5 ounces. If a glass is considered 8 ounces, you’ll need 11 glasses. Keep in mind most glasses now are at least 16 ounces, so it’s not as difficult as it sounds.  
  • If you drink caffeinated beverages, they have a diuretic effect on your body, so you need to drink even more water to compensate.
  • While eating, only sip water. Otherwise you’ll dilute your digestive juices, and it can make digesting your meal more difficult. Ideally take a break from drinking about 20 minutes before and at least 30 minutes after eating to allow for your digestive system to work optimally.

 

If that sounds boring to you, let me give you a few ideas for flavored water that are thirst-quenching and actually healthy (unlike many flavored bottled waters).

 

You can add a few slices or pieces of any of these into a mason jar (all of the cool kids drink from them now), your favorite water bottle, or even a bottle with an infuser. You can also make flavored ice cubes with these and add them to water or unsweetened herbal tea. 

 

  • Fresh or frozen organic raspberries with mint (can add a bit of lime, too)
  • Fresh or frozen organic strawberries with basil
  • Fresh or frozen organic blackberries and thyme
  • Fresh or frozen organic cherries and lime
  • Goji berries
  • Peaches and a pinch of cinnamon
  • Orange slices
  • Lemon and lime slices (alkalizing!)
  • Cucumber slices
  • Cubed watermelon and mint

Just have fun playing with your favorite combinations, it’s really endless.

Mineral water with a twist of lime and fresh mint is also a wonderful summer “mocktail”. You can muddle (mash) a few raspberries for color, or add a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice. Make your drinks pretty and festive looking, and you’ll look forward to drinking them throughout the day.

Also, don’t forget about this healthy addition, the mint flavor is great for summer.

Do you have any other favorite combinations? Do you have any other tricks to get your water in during the day?

 

 

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