We all know that we need to drink more water, but when the day get's busy it is so easy to forget or to grab another cup of coffee to keep going. I have a few tricks that I use to make sure I'm getting enough water and a few upgrades, so your hydrating can do double duty..
I don't seem to notice the effects of dehydration until it's too late. I start wondering why I'm foggy headed, why I feel run down and tired, why I'm cranky. Then after a few days of getting enough hydration I magically feel better, my skin looks better, my brain is working and I'm even sleeping better. So how do you create a routine so it becomes automatic?
Start at the Beginning
Do you wake up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee and immediately start checking emails or social media? No judgement. Just ask yourself if this is serving you? If not, make a change.
A morning routine that includes slowing waking up and giving your mind and body an easy transition can work miracles (seriously, have you read The Morning Miracle?). When I wake up around 5:50 I start by making 16 oz of warm lemon water while I am sipping on that I make myself 16 oz of celery juice and my coffee. By drinking the lemon water first, you rehydrate your body before adding in the caffeine, this helps to cut down on the jitters and anxiety that can come from the coffee. It also gives the body a hit of vitamin C, especially good for boosting the bodies natural immunity and defenses against colds and viruses. The celery juice is a personal preference. You can read about the benefits in any of the Medical Medium books, but in a nutshell the mineral salts in celery juice are though to heal everything from repairing your gut and digesting, killing off viruses in the body and improving skin. If you prefer to not drink celery juice (I would suggest trying it for 30-days to see if it works for you) then try making another lemon water and drink this after your coffee or tea. This way you have just had 32 oz of healthy hydration before breakfast. It's so much easier to start off the day this way and not have to play catch up later. You can even get fancy and add ginger and/or raw honey to the lemon water for even more beautifying effects.
Drink your fruit and veggies
After I drink my lemon juice, celery juice and get in a workout I am ready to have breakfast. Most days I like to drink a smoothie as it is the best way to get as much skin loving nutrition into an easy to drink package. And it tastes amazing! Here is my favorite smoothie recipe:
Morning Detox Smoothie
8-12 oz coconut water, nut milk or filtered water
A handful of greens (spinach or kale are my faves)
1 frozen banana
1/2 c wild frozen blueberries
1 scoop spirulina (I live E3 Live Blue Majik)
Optional additional- add fresh mint, cilantro, fresh ginger, frozen zucchini, berries, an orange, pineapple, mango...
Blend everything together in a high power blender (I use VitaMix) and pour into a glass to drink.
I use the optional items to mix up the taste and also get a rotation of different nutrients or use up produce in my refrigerator.
*I love this powder from Hum Nutrition, but other good green powders are- Sakara Super Powder, Philosophie Green Dream, or Four Sigmatic Mushroom Blend
Throughout the Day
With this morning under your belt, you are already ahead of the game. Your body is starting off with an optimal nutrition level and your brain will be happy and ready for the day. To keep it going try sipping on herbal tea (hot or iced) through out the day. Some of my favorites are: peppermint, hibiscus, green tea, rooibos and chai. Then, for lunch, if you eat a salad with all the fresh leafy greens, cucumber and some avocado or a veggie soup you will not only keep the hydration game going but will be filling up on my fiber filled, nutritious foods to keep you on your A game. Your skin will naturally be happy with all the vitamins and minerals it needs to repair and stay healthy. healthy skin of course glows from the inside out. Snack on apples if you need a little extra in between meals. Anti-inflammatory apples are great for cleansing, impossible to overeat and filled with phytochemicals making them a great brain food.
At dinner and beyond...
Before dinner try adding in another glass of lemon water at least a half an hour before meal time. This helps to keep you from overeating, but drinking it 30 minutes before the meal allows for optimal digestion. Too much liquid during meals is said to dilute the digestive enzymes, making it harder to digest. As we age our digestion can tend to get sluggish so I always take a digestive enzyme before my meals to help in that department.
For dinner, I like to keep things mostly plant based. Fill your plate with fiber-filled veggies with a small amount of protein if you like. Or try making a vegetable based stir-fry, grain bowl or soup. I have recipes over on the food section you may like to try. Do what works best for your body. I try to eat intuitively rather than having any strict labels or rules. If I want a cookie, I will eat a "healthy: cookie. I just make sure that I am filling up on all the good stuff my body craves first. It definitely helps that I have a backyard garden, as I can stay in tune with what is fresh and seasonal. If you can't have a garden, try visiting the local farmers market every week or check out some of the indoor garden systems like Gardyn or Lettuce Grow. Not only do these provide the best fresh product, but they cut down on the environmental impact of transporting vegetables, water and single-use plastics. For me that was a major win and worth the investment.
After dinner I like to have a sweet treat like a Sweet Loren's cookie, some dark chocolate or a Lily's Peanut Butter Cup. Another way to get a sweet treat and combine it with something more nourishing is sip on some Reishi Elixer or Mushroom Cacao with Reishi. Reishi can help you settle down without the hangover from sugar or alcohol. I mix this with a little nut milk or water and Nut Pod creamer and it taste just like hot cocoa (only without all the sugar).
Bonus Lemon-Tumeric-Ginger Immunity Shots
If you have a juicer you can make your own tumeric shots for an added boost to the immune system and to take advantage of all the benefits of tumeric like the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components. These may revive your skin by bringing out its natural glow.
To a juicer add (makes 3-4 shots):
4-6 inches peeled ginger
4-6 inches peeled tumeric
2 lemons
Juice then mix with 1T raw honey and 1 T MCT oil (optional). These can be stored in glass bottles for several days. You can also order a similar immunity bundle from Pressed Juicery.
I love ginger as it gives me an instant warming feeling, helps improve my digestion and basically feels like a hug from the inside.
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