Fact or Fiction, drinking water to lose weight...

Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to turn up fat-burning, however, I cannot say that drinking water alone will cause weight loss; however, if you are eating a perfect diet, but are dehydrated, you will lose less weight. When your body is dehydrated it cannot burn fat.

The easiest way to remember, drink half your body weight in water each day. For example, if you weigh 150lbs you will need to drink 75 oz of water —and as a bonus, you will have more energy and your hair and skin will shine!

Did you know when your body doesn’t have enough water, it will send you signals? Use these clues to help decode its hints:

Head—Headache, dizziness

Mouth—Thirst and bad breath

Heart—Sluggishness and heart beating harder or faster; dehydration makes your blood thicker, and it becomes harder for the heart to move blood through the vessels

Stomach—Sweets cravings; when dehydrated, your body has a difficult time creating glycogen

Bladder—Decrease in urination, dark-colored urine

Legs—Muscle cramps

Skin—Dry skin

We ALL know we need to drink more water...well for me water is just plain boring which made it extremely hard to get in my 80 oz a day, and for a while adding lemon seemed to help until it didn't, so I had to come up with a way to make water just taste better. Then I discovered tons and tons of fruit-flavored water recipes online, not only do they taste great depending on the ingredients you add to the water they can be extremely beneficial to your body.

And I have discovered that Fruit-flavored water can help you get your full water intake every day! Some of my favorite ideas below...

Fruit Flavored Water Recipe

Ingredients 2 cups fruit

2 sprigs herbs (mint is my favorite)

3 cups ice

water to fill a pitcher

Steps Place fruit and herbs in a 2 qt pitcher along with approximately 1 cup of water (no need to measure). - 2 quarts is 8 cups or 64 oz

Using a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon, slightly crush the herbs & fruit according to the directions below to release the flavors. You don't want to completely crush the fruit but if it gets a little smooshed that's ok!

Add 3 cups of ice and fill the pitcher with water.

Allow flavors to steep for about 1-2 hours and enjoy!

Remember 2 quarts is 8 cups, so when I fill my water bottle in the morning I replace the water to ensure I drink 10 cups every day..

Notes

Citrus Kiss

•1 each lime & orange, ½ lemon, all sliced.

•Muddle all ingredients, fill with ice & water, and chill.

Mango Lime

•1 Large (or 2 small) ripe mango cubed, 1 lime sliced

•Muddle lime and ¼ of the mango slices. fill with ice & water. Add remaining mango chunks and chill.

Rosemary Watermelon

•2 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary, 2 cups cubed watermelon

•Muddle Rosemary & ¼ cup of watermelon. Fill with ice & water. Add remaining watermelon and chill.

Mixed Berry

•2 cups fresh mixed berries including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries

•Gently and very slightly muddle blueberries, blackberries, and/or raspberries. Add sliced strawberries. Fill with ice & water and chill.

Strawberry Basil

•2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, ½ cup fresh basil leaves

•Muddle Basil. Add sliced strawberries. Fill with ice & water and chill.

Blueberry Mint

•2 cups blueberries, 2 sprigs of mint

•Muddle mint. Add blueberries & very slightly muddle. Fill with ice & water and chill.