Why Water is So Good For You

Seems every magazine or fitness article that I read touts drinking eight glasses of water each day as water provides so many benefits for your health, skin, mental clarity and weight loss. 

And for a yoga practioner, it's important to make sure that you rehydrate yourself after you practice. The negative effects of dehydrating include fatigue, headaches and body aches and unfortunately by the time you realize you're thirsty you're by then dehydrated, which means it's critical to keep up with your water intake throughout the day ~ in all seasons, even moreso in very hot/humid weather or if you're activity has you sweating, you'll need to replenish the body.

A few of these specific benefits include:

• Helps in weight control- substituting water for sugary drinks or specialty coffee's with all those 'not so hidden' calories provides zero calories and fills you up. The next time you feel hungry between meals, drink a glass of water, so often we're not hungry as much as thirsty!
• Good for your skin- water keeps you hydrated which is important as nearly every cell in your body is made up of, depending on body size, 78% water;
• Helps digestion and constipation- water allows the body to breakdown foods which helps the body with elimination and flushes out toxins;
• Helps maintain body temperature- it's important especially when working out to regularly replace water lost from sweating both during and after your workout;
• Helps to keep your skin clear-  If you can drink a full glass of warm water as soon as you wake in the morning, it will do wonders for you. Sometimes I add a few slices of lemon too.  TIP: A great way to start your day off is to keep a glass of water at your bedside and begin drinking as soon as you wake.  I have this great little carafe that I keep bedside for that very purpose.  

Tracking: 
As your day gets busy it can be hard to track how much water you have actually drank.  Granted a water bottle, and there are many to choose from, can work, just the idea of having to leave your work area to refill your water bottle can be troublesome, especially if you're having a busy day and, trust me, it's easy for time to slip away and then realize you haven't left your desk for hours!
On a day where I know I'll be trapped at my desk for the better part of the day, a trick I use to help me keep track of how much water I intake is that I start each day with a full pitcher of water at my desk and pour glasses from there.  As the pitcher begins to empty I know I've done good for that day!  There are also a number of apps and/or journals that help you to track your water intake.

Flavoring your water:
While we all may know that drinking water is good for you, plain water can get pretty boring after a while and for some it just lacks the taste they prefer from those other less than healthy beverages.
Years ago when a family member was hospitalized out of town, the hotel we stayed at for long stretches of time had a very large glass jar filled with water and cucumbers.  I wasn't sure at first but once I tried that first glass I was intrigued and began experimenting myself with fruits and vegetables to add another dimension to plain water.  I found through experimentation it can make a big difference in making it easier to get those eight glasses in.

Whether you purchase an infuser pitcher, repurpose a milk or water container or something you have from home, adding fruit (fresh or frozen) or vegetables can make a difference and make it easier to meet your goals for the day. 

A few of my favorites are:

• Lemons- or a combination of lemons and lime
• Berries- I like raspberries and blackberries together and sometimes add fresh mint
• Thick sliced oranges taste even fresher when placed in ice cold water
• Grapefruit and rosemary may sound odd but the flavor is fantastic!

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Other combinations that are delicious:

• Cucumber and mint
• Orange and blueberries
• Watermelon and mint
• Strawberry and basil
• Blueberry and lavender

If having fresh fruit is not always easy to have  on hand, try planning ahead when fruit is abundant in your kitchen and make fruit infused ice cubes.  Great to have on hand year round and super easy to make, Using an ordinary ice cube tray, first cut your fruit into small bite sized pieces making sure that they fit nicely into each cube.

Here I used:

• lemons
• oranges
• limes
• raspberries
• strawberries
• blueberries
• pineapple

Next, fill each cube with water making sure to cover the fruit completely.  Then freeze as usual.
Once frozen pop a few (be creative with your combinations) into a glass of water and as the ice cube melts the fruit remains and tastes just as fresh as if you bought it fresh that day.   Plus the cubes look pretty in your glass!

Either pop out a cube when needed or remove all cubes at once and store in a tightly sealed bag.
Whether you make your own fruit infused ice cubes or slice fresh fruit/vegetables/herbs into your water, both options can turn ordinary water into something extraordinary!
 
If you know you'll be on the go, make sure to have a full water bottle handy in your car or bag.  This is my favorite bottle that keeps my water cold for  hours, a great way to have water on the go that is kept fresh all day, especially as the outside temperatures rise; I have bottles in all three sizes and can attest to the ease in using and keeping water fresh and the just right temperature.

If you have fruit/herb combinations that you've tried and enjoyed please share!

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