JANA’S 7-DAY CHALLENGE – TIP #7 DRINK UP

Congratulations!  You’ve made it to the finals. Today is the last day of the challenge. You should be feeling as cool as a cucumber right now.

Speaking of cucumbers, if you are trying to drink more water but need to add some flavor then try adding a few slices of cucumbers.

There are many different suggestions and theories on how much water to drink and the best thing to do is to listen to your body to learn what it needs, but as a general rule, a minimum of 8, 8 ounce glasses each day.  

Here are some healthy ways to add flavor to water:

• LEMON – Adding fresh squeezed lemon juice to water not only tastes great but also has several health benefits. According to the Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/17/lemon-water-benefits_n_4980265.html, lemon water helps with:  

Constipation Help

Stop UTIs
Battle Breath

Weight Loss

Freshen Your Skin

Pump Up The Immune System

Recover From A Workout

Helps With Aches And Pains

Reduces Phlegm

Strengthens The Brain

Cleanses The Liver

• GREEN TEA – Green tea is my favorite additive to water. I drink it everyday and for good reason. Green tea has a high catechin content. According to WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea, catechins are antioxidants that fight and may even prevent cell damage. Green tea is not processed much before it's poured in your cup, so it's rich in catechins. 

• HERBAL TEA – If you go to any supermarket you can see the wide variety of added herbs and spices that are available in teas.  How about trying some fresh herbs instead.  My favorite is mint because it freshens breath and according to organicfacts.net, https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-mint.html, it aids in digestion:  Mint is a great appetizer or palate cleanser, and it promotes digestion. It also soothes stomachs in cases of indigestion or inflammation. When you feel sick to your stomach, drinking a cup of mint tea can give you relief. Also, if you are someone who travels long distances via plane or boat, the menthol oil derived from mint can be very soothing for nausea and related motion sickness. As with trying anything new, make sure you do your homework and research the herb before adding it blindly to your water as some may have side effects or interfere with other medicines you may be taking. 

•  CUCUMBERS – You walk into any fancy hotel nowadays and you will see the table setup with the fruity and/or cucumber water.  Cucumbers taste good so you are more likely to drink up.  According to Livestrong.com, http://www.livestrong.com/article/482916-why-drink-cucumber-water/, they provide vitamin K:  Adding cucumber to your water also helps you consume more vitamin K, as long as you use unpeeled cucumber and eat the cucumber slices along with the water. Vitamin K promotes healthy blood flow and helps you heal after injury, because it allows you to form blood clots essential to the healing process. Adding vitamin K to your diet also benefits bone health, because the vitamin activates proteins essential for healthy bone tissue.

• SPICES - TUMERIC, GINGER & CINNAMON – These spices taste great and with their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may help to fight off inflammation and illness.

These are just some of my favorites and many can be mixed together for a 1-2 punch (no pun intended).  

Nancy

NASM CPT

CrossFit L1

Bfit Athletic Club LLC

Be Strong, Be Healthy, Bfit

http://www.bfitathleticclub.com