Water

Drinking more water every day is part of my plan for healthier living. Luckily I have always loved water and it is usually my go-to beverage when I’m thirsty.

Benefits of water.

• Helps to fill you up. People often mistake thirst for hunger. If you feel hungry have a drink of water and wait 10 minutes. If you are still hungry then go looking for a snack. 
• Drinking cold water helps you burn more calories as your body works to warm the water up.
• You get in extra steps each day because of the extra trips to the washroom. 

 This is one I didn't know:

• Drinking water also helps your body burn stored fat. If you're not drinking enough water, your liver will be forced to help your kidneys detoxify your body. When you drink plenty of water, your kidneys don't need any extra help, so your liver will be able to metabolize stored fat more efficiently.  Source: FitDay.com

How much water do you need?
 
The old adage of “drink 8 glasses a day” isn’t very accurate. Glasses come in as many shapes and sizes as people do. A better calculation is 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds. So a 200 pound person should drink 100 ounces or 12.5 cups of water a day. And as soon as you add in exercise or a hot day, you need to drink even more. While it seems daunting, if you spread it over the (approx) 17 hours a day that you are awake that’s less than 1 cup an hour. Source: PBS.org

How to drink more water

• Keep water with you at all times to sip from.
• Have a glass of water before and after eating. 
• Add flavor – slices of lemon, lime, cucumber or even a few crushed berries will give your water a nice taste without adding calories. 
• Keep track of your how much you drink. You might think you are getting enough water, but when you start writing it down you might be surprised. 
• Replace at least one non-water beverage a day with water. 
• Eat more fruit, especially watermelon
• Black tea and coffee can even count towards your water intake each day.

How much water do you drink every day?