Everyone knows to drink more water. Love it or hate it, we can’t live without it. But why do some of us hate something so important to our survival?
One reason is simply that plain water is boring! It has no real taste and, unless you’re really hot and thirsty, it’s not very refreshing by itself. It’s hard to want plain water when sugary drinks taste better and are sometimes the only available and safe things to drink.
The good news is, water can be transformed with just a few simple ingredients. The better news is that some additives can actually have really positive health benefits for us! We’ve listed a few suggestions below to help spice up your daily water intake.
Ginger Water
Weight Loss: Ginger regulates blood sugar levels and can control your urge to eat. The natural elements in ginger improve the fat absorbing in your body which can help you lose weight!
Anti-Inflammatory: Did you know that ginger water helps prevent and heal inflammation? In one study, ginger was found to reduce allergic reactions and can even ease up your muscles after a workout.
Anti-Nausea: Ginger has been used to curb nausea for centuries. It’s even safe to consume during pregnancy!
Cucumber Water
Lowers Blood Pressure: Cucumbers are known for their high potassium, which means they can lower your blood pressure.
Freshens Breath: Cucumber is already made up mostly of water. Adding it to your water bottle gives you a bonus hydration boost. By giving yourself extra hydration, cucumber has the ability to boost your saliva production and wash away bacteria which causes bad breath.
Clears Skin: Not only does the natural diuretic factors of cucumbers help flush toxins from your body, it’s also amazing for your skin and can calm acne.
Lemon Water
Rehydrates and Refreshes: When you wake up in the morning, it’s likely you haven’t drunk anything in the last 8 hours. Drinking warm water with lemon rehydrates you and gets your brain and body going faster than coffee!
Boosts Immune System: Although not high, lemons contain vitamin C which has the ability to boost your immune system. Again, drinking water in the morning gives your body the chance to absorb these vitamins thoroughly and gives you the immune boost you need.
Lowers Stress: Vitamin C is also known to help reduce stress! Drinking lemon water can help you feel less anxious.
Sparkling Water
Super Clean: We love tap water but you can’t always guarantee it’s fully filtered or toxin free. Carbonated water undergoes all sorts of treatments, however. It’s much more likely to be safe to drink than what you get from the tap!
Helps Constipation: Carbonated water is known to ease the passage of bowel movements and reduce pressure and inflammation in the gut.
Feel Fuller Longer: Evidence suggests that sparkling water helps keep food in your stomach for longer, which may trigger feelings of fullness and keep you feeling full longer.
Drink Up!
So there you have it. There are many ways to drink more water without it being boring, and the benefits are pretty good too!
On a final note, we at Fabulous encourage our readers to consider purchasing their own reusable water bottle for daily drinking. While disposable plastic bottles of water are often more convenient, the trash left behind is filling our landfills and our oceans. Nearly 8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean each year, and a lot of it comes from water bottles.
If you can’t find a reusable bottle, or if you wouldn’t have a safe way to fill it, try looking for environmentally-friendly containers, like cans or boxes.
Have you signed up for our challenge to drink more water? Even if you have, we encourage you to try this habit again. This time, however, try a few of our suggestions to mix things up a little. Be sure to tag us with #DrinkMoreFabWater so we can see how you’re doing!
