Drink Water & Lose Weight!

Are you serious?! Well, I've found more than one nutrition expert who agrees. "If you drink eight to ten cups of cold water each day, you'll burn an extra 400-500 calories," says Oxygen Magazine. It takes 3,500 calories to lose a pound, so that's one pound every week just by drinking water. The idea is that the water must be COLD, because then your body has to use energy to heat it up to body temperature, burning an extra 50 calories per cup.

Regardless of the weight loss benefits, water is your friend! The human body is made up of more than 70% water and drinking enough is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It's recommended you drink at least 8 glasses of water each and every day. To be precise, you need to drink a 1/2 oz of water per pound of body weight to be fully hydrated. If you drink any caffeinated beverages, you need to increase this by 2 glasses for every cup you drink. Are you wondering if you'll ever leave the bathroom?

Dehydration is commonly cited as one of the most common culprits of disease and infection. Water helps your body flush out harmful toxins that will make you feel tired and sluggish. It helps your organs and joints to work better and helps to relieve muscle discomfort. Your skin will also look younger and your wrinkles will be less visible.

If you don't like the taste of plain water try adding lemon or orange slices. Herbal teas are also a great water substitute. You may also want to consider Isagenix's energy drink called "Want More Energy" . It's very low in calories and sugar and is loaded with vitamin A, B and C. Energy drinks are recommended to help replace electrolytes for anyone who works out vigorously for 60 minutes or more. Just be careful as not all energy drinks are equal. Many are high in sugar, calories and sometimes even contain caffeine or artificial sweeteners.

So drink up! Your body will thank you!

How Healthy are you?

Although good health is not completely in our control, there are several lifestyle choices we can make to improve our level of health and well being. I’ve boiled it down to six primary factors….

1) Nutrition 2) Exercise 3) Water 4) Sleep 5) Supplementation 6) Stress

Here’s a quick quiz to give you an idea how you’re doing….

1) Are you eating 5-6 healthy, well-balanced meals per day?

1) Never 2) Sometimes 3) Usually 4) Always

2) How many times per week do you indulge in some form of junk food?

1) Almost everyday 2) 4-5 3) 2-3 4) 0-1

3) Are you drinking 8-10 glasses of water everyday?

1) Never 2) Sometimes 3) Usually 4) Always

4) Are you exercising regularly (3-4 times) per week with a minimum of 1 rest day?

1) Never 2) Sometimes 3) Usually 4) Always

5) Does your exercise regime include a good balance of cardiovascular exercise (min. 3 times per wk. / 30 minutes each) and strength training (min. 2 x per week)?

1) Never 2) Sometimes 3) Usually 4) Always

6) Are you taking extra nutritional supplements (as recommended by your doctor) on a daily basis?

1) Never 2) Sometimes 3) Usually 4) Always

7) Are you making time for yourself to have fun & relax?

1) Never 2) Sometimes 3) Usually 4) Always

Now add up your score. If you scored between….

7 - 14: You have some work to do. I challenge you to set some serious goals for yourself and stick with it. Let me know if you’d like some help with this or would like an accountability partner.

15 - 21: You’re on the right track but there is room for improvement. Select one or two areas and focus on developing some new habits over the next few weeks.

22+: You’re doing great! Keep up the good work.