I'll have water, Please!

9:50 AM Unknown 0 Comments

I'll have water, PLEASE!

I'll be the first to say I'm not a big water drinker. I'm trying to change all that. I mean let's be honest it doesn't have any taste. However lately I've been feeling blotted. My families' health history has been a concern. I'm not a diabetic but it does run in my family and as I get older I know I have to take better care of my body. The best cure to any disease is prevention . Water is also essential to controlling your blood pressure. I'm starting to take a lot of small steps to improve my future quality of life. Drinking more water is my first step.

I often would reach for juice since I'm not really a soda kind a girl. I was fooling myself into thinking I was doing better with this choice. Juice drinks have just as much or more sugar content as some soda drinks. So I'm backing away from the juices and pulling up to the water jug, lol. I'm including more than drinking water as part of my daily healthier fluid intake. I'm including fruits, and vegetables also.

Be careful because too much fluid in your body can make it harder for your heart to pump. Space your fluid intake throughout the day. Remember that some fruits and vegetables have high water content so include these foods when keeping track of your fluid intake. For example, eating one medium orange or a half cup of watermelon is the same as drinking a half cup of liquid. I going to try and avoid alcohol (This is a hard one) and caffeine. Alcohol can decrease the heart’s ability to contract properly and caffeine can put additional stress on the heart.

How much water should I drink each day? It's a simple question without a simple answer. It really depend you. No single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's needs help you estimate how much water to drink each day. Your health, how active you are and where you live. It's said women should have 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. I've seen a water formula used that take your weight in lbs/2= daily water consumption in ounces (Example: my weight 245 lbs/2= 122.5 ounces of water. The "8 by 8" rule remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that when following this rule: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total.

Here's a good recipe to help in drinking more water

Cucumber and Mint Water
Ingredients
1 cup sliced cucumbers
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 limes or lemons, sliced
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
Ice cubes
Water

Direction: In 2 quart pitcher, add the cucumbers,
strawberries, lime or lemon slices, mint leaves,
ice cubes, and fill with water. Chill in refrigerator
for 10 minutes.