Live Well Strategy #24 - Easily Boost and Enjoy Your Water Intake!

We all know that we need to be drinking at least 64 oz of water everyday – but sometimes it can be hard to get it down (especially when Diet Coke or Juice seems more appealing taste wise!)   

So how can you easily boost your water intake every day and ENJOY it?
 
By making your water taste GREAT…..Cranberry Water!  A cooling, slightly sweet/tart and thirst quenching drink, Cranberry Water has high levels of antioxidants and numerous health benefits.  Cranberry Water is also very low calorie and low-glycemic as the Cranberry juice you will be using is unsweetened and you'll use Stevia to sweeten your drink.  

Cranberries are considered a “functional food”, meaning they provide natural health benefits far beyond basic nutrition.  Drink 64 oz of this every day and you will feel GREAT – and best of all, you won’t feel like you are forcing yourself to drink water. 
 
What are Cranberries good for?

• Detoxifier – helps keep the liver’s detoxification pathways open
• Digestive Aid and helps remove fat deposits remaining in your lymphatic system.  MAY even help Cellulite ☺  Reason enough to drink 64 oz per day!
• Cholesterol Zapper - Cranberries contain flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds – which help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol – the “BAD” cholesterol.
• Natural defense against atherosclerosis and heart disease
• Help prevent bladder infections by stopping the bacteria, E. Coli from sticking to the lining of the bladder.
• Minimize bad breath by preventing bacteria from gathering on the surface of your teeth

What do you need to make Cranberry Water?  (Purchase from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sunflower or other organic food store).

• Water Bottle.  I like our Live Well Camelbak 24oz Water Bottles as I drink TONS more water using them b/c of the “adult sippy cup” feel to it.  No top to unscrew, doesn’t leak if knocked over, dishwater safe, great for the gym, car etc.  I have 3 – one in my office, one in my car and one in my kitchen so that I’m always drinking – water that is!  
• Filtered Water – filter your own, buy spring water or try to use brands that use reverse osmosis and carbon filtration.
• Pure, UNSWEETENED Cranberry Juice.  (I.e. Mountain Sun from Whole Foods.)
• Liquid Stevia (i.e. Sweet Leaf from Whole Foods).  Stevia is a natural sweetener made from herbs and contains no calories or carbs and does not spike your blood sugar.  Liquid Stevia has no bitter after taste.  Also, NuStevia by NuNaturals has a Packet version that is non-bitter as well. 

How do you make Cranberry Water?  (32 oz)

• Fill your Water Bottle with 28 oz of filtered, cold water
• Add 8-10 drops of Stevia, depending how sweet or tart you like your drink
• Add 4 oz of Unsweetened Cranberry Juice (Only 30 calories)

And voila!  You have a GREAT drink that will taste like a treat all day ☺  Drink up to 64 ounces per day (8 oz of unsweetened Cranberry Juice).
 
Options:  Add 4 oz of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice instead of Cranberry Juice.  They too have additional Health Benefits, are low calorie, low-glycemic and taste great! 

Be Happy, Be Vibrant...

Live Well, 

Carmen

 
*Cold Day Variation of how to get your daily water intake in an enjoyable way:  Buy 5-6 herbal teas and sip 5-6 cups every day.  I constantly drink herbal tea to keep warm and keep my water intake up during the cold months.  Green tea (Tea of Inquiry from Republic of Tea is my favorite), Coconut White tea, Peppermint, Spearmint, Bengal Spice, Cinnamon and Gingerbread are all some of my favorite natural, non sugar hot teas.  Visit your natural food store and go wild in the tea section ☺

** See Live Well Strategy #5 on our blog for more Live Well Healthy Summer drinks!

Live Well Strategy #23 - 5 Great Ways to De-Stress

Stress is related to 99% of all illnesses.  “In addition to the trademark tight shoulders, irritability and clenched jaw, day-in and day-out stress wreaks havoc on our eating habits, wears down our immune systems, leading to colds and disease, and even turns hormones and nerve chemicals topsy-turvy, contributing to weight gain, memory loss and depression” – Food & Mood by Elizabeth Somers.
 
How does this all happen in your body when you are stressed? 
 
When you are anxious or stressed, the body produces adrenalin (your fight or flight hormone) which stresses the adrenal glands and compromises the liver & brain.  Cortisol (the yucky stress & fat storage hormone that encourages the body to accumulate fat, especially around the middle) is also released – which causes a drop in serotonin (the happy chemical) in the brain.  

This leads to depression, irritability, heightened insulin levels, & around-the-clock craving for sweets and fatty foods.  Chronic stress also unleashes a barrage of free radicals that damage your body & brain cells – killing brain cells by the millions.  You literally “stew” in your own soup of hormones.
 
What can you do to daily De-Stress?
 
Write down 3 things right now that make YOU feel peaceful – and do them at least 10 minutes per day or whenever you feel stressed.  Practice letting adrenalin and cortisol subside – not grow in your body – it will help your health immensely! 
 
Here are 5 of my favorite ways to de-stress:
 
1. Be a Corpse.  Lie down on the floor.  The “corpse” pose is one of the BEST ways to de-stress the body and mind.  (If you want a laugh and are brave, lie down beneath your cubicle at work – who knows, you might encourage someone else to de-stress.)  By lying on the ground – your body can actually “let go” and release physical tension – which allows stress to literally melt out of your body.  When the body relaxes, the mind follows.
 
2. Let Oxygen Help.  This is actually my favorite form of meditation - breathing for 10-15 min in the morning.  However, you can do for just 1-2 minutes when you're stressed...simply close your eyes and BREATHE – in and out...it's so simple and it so works.  

Oxygen helps the whole body de-stress and slows down/halts the production of adrenalin and cortisol – also why exercise works so well.  You can’t always go for a jog when stressed, but you can take deep breaths anywhere, anytime :-)  Close your eyes and breathe and let your whole body relax.  Visualize the adrenaline and cortisol fading away….
 
3. Connect to Good Energy.  Sit outside in nature, touch a tree or a flower, look at something beautiful on your desk at work.  Connecting with nature or beauty gives you energy when you most need it.  Hugging a pet or someone you love does the same thing. 

4. Take a Break.  Listen to soothing or happy music or read a book/magazine for 10 minutes.  Take a BREAK for your body and mind - transport your body to a peaceful place for 10 min and allow the hormones to subside.  Get a cup of tea and just relax for 10 min.
 
5. Stop and THINK/FEEL.  Ask yourself good questions.  “Why do I feel stressed”?  (Close your eyes and breathe for 1 min before doing this - it helps the whole process).  Is it really that bad and what can I do about it right now to make me feel better NOW. What's the worst thing that can happen and is it really that bad? Have I felt this way before and did it work out in the end? How could I feel good about the situation?  Can I choose different thoughts?  

If it is something you HAVE to do, realize that you have a choice to be relaxed while you do it (and happy), or stressed and contributing to bad health (which is probably worse than whatever you are stressed out about.

Bonus Tip!

Eat & Drink to support balance in the body and brain.  Drink lots of water and make sure that you're eating 5 small meals/snacks per day that are low glycemic.  Keeping your blood sugar stable throughout the day helps stress immensely.  Don't drink coffee - it only heightens agitation and stress levels, as does sugar and high glycemic foods. Choose calming herbal teas, water with lemon/lime etc.  

Be Happy... Be Vibrant...

Live Well,

Carmen