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It’s a new year, and that often means new commitments to health and wellness. Every January, we optimistically set goals to improve our quality of life in 2023! The new year holds countless possibilities, from clean eating to exercise to finally making time to try out that origami kit you ordered months ago! While committing to your health through diet and exercise is an admirable resolution, have you considered adding another small change to your list? This small change will save you money, calories, and visits to the doctor. What is the miracle resolution, you ask? We are so glad you did! Developing healthy water habits is a must for your new year’s resolution.
Our existence consists of, exists in, and thrives because of water. Human beings are 55-60% water, and 71% of our planet is water. Water is life, and healthy water habits create healthier lifestyles. That’s why the team at Crystal Clear Water is here to share some tips for making healthy water habits this year!
Benefits of Staying Hydrated:
First, let’s share a few interesting facts to help get you inspired! There are various reasons why staying hydrated is better for your brain, body, mind, mood, and overall well-being.
1. Glowing skin
While staying hydrated won’t transform your skin overnight, it does improve your body’s ability to push blood through the body and skin. More blood flow means healthier-looking skin!
2. Helps you lose weight
There are a variety of reasons why staying hydrated helps you lose weight. Without getting into the science too much, here are a few reasons:
- Your body needs water to burn fat.
- Drinking water reduces your calorie intake via sugary alternatives.
- Water helps remove waste from your body.
- Drinking water increases your body’s ability to burn calories.
3. Improves Your Body Function
Drinking water and staying hydrated gives you a higher energy level, helps your body regulate your internal temperature, keeps your joints lubricated, prevents infections, carries vital nutrients to your cells, and helps your organs function optimally
4. Improves Your Mood
Drinking enough water helps with your mood, ability to think, and sleep quality, resulting in a happier, healthier you! This is because your brain runs on water. If you don’t have enough water, your brain does not have enough fuel to do its best. In addition, dehydration inhibits your brain’s production of serotonin (AKA the happy hormone).
How Much Water Do You Need A Day?
Your total water intake is not just the fluid you drink daily. The fruits and vegetables you consume also affect how hydrated you are. For example, lettuce, watermelon, tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers are over 90% water. Water intake will vary depending on your gender, age, overall health, and physical activity level. Your water intake is also impacted if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Generally speaking, health authorities recommend 11 and a half cups of water for females and 15 and a half cups of water daily for males.
Healthy Water Habits
1. Choose Water
While some may consider this an apparent habit, it is easy to think we met our fluid intake because we had several cups of coffee and a glass of juice earlier in the day. Nothing hydrates you quite as well as a refreshing cup of water. If you aren’t a fan of water’s taste, try adding lemon or lime wedges, cucumber slices, mint leaves, or berries to your water to help it pop with a little extra flavor. Add berries, lemon, lime, or cucumber to sparkling water if you want a little fizz.
2. Set A Water Timer
Set the timer on your phone or even download an app to remind yourself to stop your activity and take a moment to chug some water. Simply setting a timer can help you remember to pause and take a quick swig before returning to your task.
3. Buy A Special Water Bottle
Determine what daily amount of water you want to intake and buy a water bottle that matches that amount. This way, once you finish the bottle, you know you have met your daily goal!
4. Hydration Habits
Set a hydration habit. Make it part of your everyday habits and incorporate your hydration into your routine. For example, drink a glass of water when you first wake up, after your morning coffee, before lunch, after a workout, every time you use the bathroom, and after dinner. Set the best times that work with your daily routine and habits.
5. Challenge A Friend
Start off the new year with a little friendly competition. Gather a group of your close friends (or social media peeps) to join you in a healthy water challenge for the month of January and February. Keep each other motivated and accountable to stick with your daily water intake goals!
6. Get Reusable Straws
People love straws! Drinking through a straw can help improve your water intake levels. We tend to drink more when we drink through a straw, and more water is always a good thing!
7. Get Creative With Your Water Intake
If you just can’t motivate yourself to drink water, one study suggests that changing how you drink it can make it feel exciting and more enjoyable. Research performed at the University of Chicago and Ohio State University asked 300 participants to devise an unconventional way to drink their water. Their answers ranged from drinking water from a measuring cup to drinking it from a martini glass. Did it work? Well, participants said they enjoyed drinking their water more than those who drank it out of an ordinary water glass or bottle.
8. Refill As Soon As Your Bottle Is Empty
Don’t let your time pass by with an empty water glass or bottle. Once you finish the last sip, prioritize marching to the sink or fridge and pouring another glass. It is easier to reach down and take a sip. However, if you need to get up and get another glass to drink more, chances are you will just keep pushing it further down your “to-do” list.
9. Try A Reverse Osmosis Water System
If you aren’t on your water’s team regarding taste or quality, then a reverse osmosis water system is a wonderful option. In a brief nutshell, a reverse osmosis system effectively removes impurities from your water, giving you back pure, refreshing, and safe water! While there are several pros and cons to a reverse osmosis water system, they are a perfect solution for many people’s water-drinking woes!
If you need support ringing in your new year with healthy water habits, look no further than the team at Crystal Clear Water in sunny Southwest Florida. We would love to give you a glimpse into your water with a free water analysis and our professional guidance on what water system is best for you! So here’s to a hydrated and happy New Year!
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