Y’all, I have a confession to make. I’m struggling with my water intake! 

Yes, me!

Last week, I shared in our Facebook group—Let’s Get Healthier Together—that I was struggling with drinking water. I love water and prefer it to other beverages, but sadly, I’m only getting in about two 20-oz bottles a day. As a registered dietitian, I know better! I encourage people all the time about how important water is, and here I am barely getting half of what I need each day.

For the group’s weekly challenge, I set a goal to increase my water intake to 3 bottles a day. It’s all about starting small. Well, to be honest, I started off strong. The first two days went well, but by the third day I had barely drunk two bottles. So, here I am in week two with the same goal as last week—3 bottles a day. So far, so good! 

On another note, many struggle with drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. This week, we’ll focus on ways to increase our water intake and tips on reducing our sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. The goal is to create a foundation for making long-lasting, healthier choices.

Here are a few benefits of water and great reasons to consume it. Water—

• Keeps us hydrated so our body works at its best 
• Boosts energy—helps us feel alert instead of dragging 
• Aids digestion and helps prevent constipation 
• Supports a healthy weight (water has zero calories!) 
• Helps our skin stay healthy and glowing

Most healthy adults need 8-10 cups (64-80 oz) of fluids a day—and that can shift based on your age, activity level, weather, and health conditions—with most of that coming from water. While fruits, vegetables, soups, and other fluids and beverages count toward our fluid intake, water is the best option.

Now, let’s talk about sugar-sweetened beverages and why we should limit them. For one, over the long run, they can be costly to our health. A regular 12 oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories, with no nutrients to show for it. A 20 oz fruit drink—different from 100% fruit juice (which also contains natural sugar)—contains about 13 teaspoons of sugar or more. The more we drink, the more the calories add up, and most of the time they provide no nutritional value. There are some exceptions where vitamins and/or nutrients are added (vitamin C, protein, etc.), and those should outweigh the beverage’s sugar content. 

So, here are a few tips to increase water intake:

• Carry a reusable water bottle that you can refill as needed
• Drink a glass with every meal and snack 
• Flavor it with fruit, herbs, citrus, or flavor enhancers (limit these) if plain water bores you 
• Set a reminder on your phone 
• Drink a glass of water first before reaching for a soda

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Ladies, if you’d like a safe space to discuss nutrition or other health topics, join our Facebook group: Let’s Get Healthier Together. No perfection required. Come as you are. It’s all about getting healthier together! Remember…

Eat well. Feel well. Live well.
LaShaundreaB