Monday, January 30, 2017

WATER: 20-1-7 CHALLENGE Week #5


Dr. Grimes' 20-1-7 CHALLENGE: 
  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.
WATER: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #5

WATER. Okay, confession time- the one simple health advice that I give but do not consistently follow very well is drinking enough water. Conventional wisdom (and virtually every diet plan) says we should consume 8 glasses of water (8 oz each) daily. However, there is no evidence-based specific "recommended daily allowance" for water, partly because there are so many individual variables (from kidney function to environment to sensible and insensible water losses). That being said, I would still argue that most of us could benefit from increasing our water intake, especially if doing so helps us to decrease other beverage choices (laden with calories, caffeine, sugar or artificial sweeteners.) Increased water intake helps curb appetites, prevent kidney stones, 

My health challenge this week, therefore, is to drink at least 4 glasses (8oz each) per day by drinking one at each meal, plus one with my afternoon snack. I am not going to restrict myself from drinking other beverages as well, but I anticipate my gatorade, juice and Coke consumption will automatically come down...

When I am trying to entice myself to drink more water, I stock up on lemons, limes and "Cutie" oranges, because I love the visual appeal of sliced fruit in water- an instant SPA treat in my own kitchen.

BOTTOM LINE: While there is no set answer for exactly how much water we should drink, increasing your daily intake has multiple potential benefits. 


20-1-7 Challenge Week #1: COLOR

20-1-7 Challenge Week #2: Veggie Spiralizer

20-1-7 Challenge Week #3: Medication Dispenser

20-1-7 Challenge Week #4: Meditation FEEDBACK:  I committed to a Kirtan Kriya 12 minute daily meditation. This was my first experience with a chanting-style meditation, and I found it so relaxing that I literally fell asleep each time during the silent sections- so I ended up doing this at bedtime. Not sure this is the best type of meditation for me, but I will definitely use this any time I am having insomnia! 

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