It’s a new month, folks. Which means a new challenge and a new resolution. For the past four weeks, we have been working on building a foundation with meal planning. If you missed January’s resolution, don’t you worry. You can catch up and read all about it here.
For February’s resolution, I wanted another challenge that is a very basic and key component to a healthy lifestyle. It is important to have a good foundation first, right?! Right!
link provided by green-mom.com
New month resolution for February: Drink at least 64oz of water everyday.
This might sound simple. This might not sound like it makes a difference.
But a study published by Dr. Susan Kleiner found that “dehydration of as little as 2% loss of body weight results in impaired physiological and performance responses.” Even slight dehydration can start to effect metabolism and energy level, not to mention bowel function and appetite.
So what counts as “water”? There are 3 rules of fluids.:
1. The fluid has to have less than 15 calories per 8 oz serving.
2. The fluid has to be decaffeinated.
3. The fluid has to be non-carbonated.
Plain water is great and very refreshing, but sometimes you need a little kick. Feel feel to use drink flavor enhancers such as crystal light or MiO drops, decaf coffee or tea, powerade zero or propel zero for your fluids. They still count toward your 64 oz goal, but provide a little zing!
Now how can you be sure you are getting in all of your fluids?
First, you can buy a water tumbler from any grocery/convenience store. Knowing how many ounces your cup is makes it easier to keep track of how much you have consumed. There are also some really great apps for fluid tracking. I love the app called Water Logged. Check out this full post about the app. You can also track fluids in MyFitnessPal with your daily food journal.
image provided by www.agefotostock.com
New resolutions every month lead to new goals which enhances healthy living. By continuing January’s resolution of meal planning and adding this goal for daily fluid intake, you will start to see a change in your habits. Health habits = healthy lifestyle.
Happy drinking, friends! ~Lauren A.