Stay hydrated to feel good and function well!
Good digestion and bowel elimination depend on good hydration–so does clear thinking! We often loose the sense of thirst as we age and many people mistake thirst for hunger and then eat instead of drink. Therefore, it is important to form the habit of drinking enough fluids whether thirsty or not. The rule of thumb is to drink daily half your weight in ounces. If you weigh 160 pounds that would be 80 ounces or about 10 cups. Make it a rule to drink 2 cups of water or herb tea first thing in the morning before eating. That way you have already had a quarter of the approximate recommendation of 8 cups of fluids a day before you start eating. If you have problems with constipation, add the juice of a half lemon to 2 cups of warm water and have that instead of tea or plain water first thing in the morning.
Making delicious drinks is a healthy way for you to want to drink–the bonus is a daily supply of minerals and antioxidants! If you have a juicer, freshly made vegetable juice on a daily basis is an excellent nutritious beverage. Herb teas are another good choice. Obviously, the quality of the water is very important. Ask us for more information about how to improve the quality of your water. Generally, stevia is used as a safe, no-calorie sweetener–most people need to avoid drinking calories (drinks with added sugars such as high fructose corn syrup, sugar, honey, agave).
