More Reasons to Choose H2O

Drinking 2 glasses (16 oz) of water before meals may help you lose more weight! Dieters who drank 16 oz of water before each meal lost 5 more pounds than those trying to lose weight that did not increase their water intake. The reason being that water takes up more volume in the stomach right before a meal, so less food is eaten overall. http://news.discovery.com/human/glass-water-weight-loss.html

Drinking water instead of carbonated beverages may help you breathe better! Australian researchers linked soft drink consumption to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. This included both diet and regular sodas, the link seems to be related to the carbonation. The higher the intake of carbonated beverages, the higher the likelihood that individual had either asthma or COPD. The study looked at over 16,000 people drinking about 16 oz or more of carbonated drinks per day. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/07/asthma-connected-fizzy-drinks-study

Take your body weight in pounds, divide it by 2, and that’s how many ounces of water you should be drinking a day. So for a 200 lb person, that’s 100 ounces of water a day, which is about 12 ½ cups. To give you a big picture, there are 120 ounces in a gallon… While any unsweetened beverage counts towards this amount, most people don’t get enough water. The easiest way to increase intake is to keep a water bottle at your desk and with you when running errands. Having one within arms reach will provide a visual reminder to drink more water throughout the day.

Tips to Jazz up Plain Water

1)      Add fresh fruit. Sliced oranges, limes or lemons provide an invigorating twist (pun intended!) to plain water. Even sliced cucumber or herbs like mint, basil or rosemary give a refreshing alternative to traditional water.

2)      Freeze 100% juice ice cubes. Add these cubes to water to slowly melt into plain water and provide a sweet taste without adding a significant amount of calories.

3)      Drink unsweetened tea. With dozens of flavors, unsweetened tea is probably the easiest alternative to plain water and can add beneficial antioxidants and nutrients. Green tea contains ECGC, which increases your body’s natural burn of calories. It may also protect against breast cancer! Black tea also contains antioxidants and there are various types of herbal teas that can provide additional health benefits. CAUTION: The tannins in tea impact the absorption of some nutrients. It’s best not to drink it with supplements or medications just in case.

4)      Try sugar-free, powdered flavors. There are dozens of brands and flavors of sugar-free, powdered drinks that you can add into water. While artificial sweeteners are usually involved, adding a small amount into a bottle of water (use less than indicated) will also help to flavor water and add a negligible amount of sweeteners. Do this in moderation (not every day) and rely on tips #1 #2 and #3 more often to increase your fluid intake.

Grab a glass and drink to your health!