We spend so much time focusing on food and nutrition that we often overlook the drink in our hand. Now I know we are all reminded we should be drinking more water, but that’s because it’s true. Water is actually the beverage I drink the most of, drinking it throughout the day. Our body is made up of about 70% water so it’s no surprise that we need it and it’s good for our health. It keeps us hydrated, it’s good for our skin and can even help us feel full so we don’t overeat.
I have heard different recommendations of course for how much water we should be drinking: 8-10 glasses a day, half your body weight in ounces, but I say if you are thirsty, drink water. Also when exercising, drink water, after all that’s what you are sweating out and losing so we need to replenish our water stock. Most of the other drinks contain lots of extra sugar our body doesn’t need so it’s best to have those in limited amounts.
I personally love to start my day off with a cup of warm green tea in the morning. I come from a family of coffee drinkers, both my sisters, my step-mom, step-brother, also numerous friends, so I am a bit of an oddity with this one in the fact that I don’t ever drink coffee, only tea. I prefer green tea for its antioxidant benefits and less caffeine, but teas as a whole have many health benefits and delicious varieties to try.
Tea may help prevent heart attack and stroke, boost your immune system, help soothe your digestive system, and may keep your smile bright as it doesn’t seem to erode tooth enamel. Oh yeah and when you drink it as is-it’s calorie free! Tea is also a nice pick-me-up in the afternoon as you start to feel drowsy and still have a few more hours in the work day. I say, try making a cup of tea tomorrow and see how you feel.
Now that the warm weather has started to arrive I’m adding another healthy beverage back into my routine, smoothies. The great thing about smoothies is they can be enjoyed at anytime and in many different combinations. I prefer to have mine in the morning by making it myself. I am more of a veggie girl than a fruit one so I add more vegetables in mine. Even though the sugar in fruit is naturally occurring and released into our bodies slowly over time, it can sometimes still be too much sugar in a smoothie. I prefer smoothies over juicing because I’m still getting the fiber benefits from the food I put in the blender. My favorite combination is a green smoothie with banana, celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, coconut water and fresh squeezed lemon juice. If that doesn’t sound amazing to you, then create your own recipe! You can add blueberries, oranges, take out a vegetable, use spinach instead, the point as always is to do what you love and is right for you. Never forget, this is your wellness lifestyle.
So as we make our way through the week, grab your water bottle, make a cup of tea, try a new smoothie and drink up!
Wellness Wednesday,
TK
