Water, Water, and More Water: Grab a glass of Water

Losing weight, eating right, and exercising more are intentions on nearly everyone’s list of goals especially at the start of the year. But there’s another healthy habit that should be one of your top goals: Drink more water.

In fact, drinking water has many health benefits and will assist in managing your weight. Choosing water over juice, sweet tea or some other caloric beverage can help reduce your calories to lose weight. Plus, drinking water and eating water-rich foods will make you feel fuller faster. Drinking more water can improve your energy, promote proper digestion, help flush out toxins, support healthy kidney and bowel functions, and boost the immune system. Proper water intake will also aid your complexion and reduce acne and dark spots. More water will make a difference in your life.

Try to drink half your weight in ounces (up to 100 ounces) per day.

To get your proper water intake each day, drink 16 to 20 ounces of water with each meal, drinking half that amount before you start eating and drinking the rest when you complete your meal.

Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workouts. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercising. During exercise, you should start drinking fluids early and drink at regular intervals to replace fluids lost while sweating.

Bored with the taste of plain water? Try infused water. Lemon, mint, or cucumber-infused water is the perfect way to refresh and rehydrate.