The Cup Of T

Category: Healthy Living

  • Drink Your Water! 6 Steps to Increase your Water Intake

    Drink Your Water! 6 Steps to Increase your Water Intake

    You probably heard it a million times but simply can’t get yourself to drink more water. I’m not a big fan of water in general. Spare me the looks, you haven’t heard it all yet! I hate being cold, wet and dislike drinking cold water (unless it’s really hot out there). I’m more of an earth person who rushes to get dry after a shower, dreads first pool dips, and loves hot beverages. I also forget to drink because I’m an anxious person who usually prioritizes finishing my to-do list before giving myself time to eat or drink. So there were days when I literally had way less than 1 Liter of water/day. There you go. Phew.

    Needless to say, I learned the hard way that I HAD to change. This post is for those who know they should drink more but find it hard to do so.

    I’m sharing with you the red flags that made me start drinking acceptable amounts of water, how I did it, and what I learned along the way.

    My Symptoms

    Extreme Fatigue

    I felt SO tired and didn’t know why. I later learned that not drinking enough water makes your body lose fluids, which decreases the volume of blood. This puts pressure on the heart because it has to work harder to deliver oxygen to organs and muscles. As a result, I felt tired and had low energy levels because my body was doing its best to function without enough water.

    Poor Skin Health

    My skin was dry and dull, I had dark under-eye circles, and I noticed some fine lines that, I swear, were never there before! The lack of water causes the skin to lose its plumpness and elasticity. Water also helps reducing acne by flushing harmful toxins from the body (that sounds so satisfying). You can use hydrating creams and skin treatments all you want, but drinking more water achieves better results and gives you a fresher appearance.

    Sugar Cravings

    My oh my! I used to crave sugar ALL the time! I wrote an article about how I overcame that as well. No matter how full I was feeling, there was always a place for desserts and sweet snacks. The truth is that dehydrating your body interferes with its ability to reach stored glucose for energy. That is why start craving food high in sugar and carbohydrates. So next time you experience sugar cravings or sudden hunger, drink more water to rehydrate your body!

    Decreased Urination

    It’s pretty simple. Low water intake makes the kidneys retain as much fluid as possible to maintain their function. This means less urination and darker urine with a stronger odor. Those are mega-huge red flags because you face the risk of a urinary tract infection (UTI) because your body isn’t flushing out toxins and bacteria. Ouch! You really don’t want to go there.

    How I Increased My Water Intake

    1. Set A Daily Goal

    My doctor advised me to drink 8 cups (2 Liters) of water/day. Tell me about impossible goals! However, I eventually got there! And let me tell you, I do feel different. Setting a daily goal motivates you to do your best to reach it. I use half a liter reusable bottle that I refill 4 times a day as soon as it’s empty. This makes it easier to track my intake and makes it look more like something I could drink. It’s working pretty well so far. Do whatever is easier for you, whether it’s putting those 2-liter bottles in front of you, using 0.5-liter bottles, or drinking by cups.

    2. First Thing In The Morning

    Drink 1 cup of water as soon as you get out of bed. As simple as it might seem, it was super hard for me at first. My doctor’s advice was to drink 1 liter before noon, so I trained myself to drink my first 0.5-liter bottle while getting dressed, and another 0.5-liter bottle throughout the morning while getting things done. Now that your first liter is done, it’s easier to drink the remaining one during the rest of the day.

    3. Log your progress

    There are many mobile apps you can download that send you reminders and keep track of your progress. The satisfaction you feel when you log your progress or reach your goal is amazing and it will motivate you to keep at it! I personally used my sports watch at first, to log the number of cups I drank. Then stopped using it when it became easier for me to drink using my 0.5-liter bottle.

    4. Infusions

    There are plenty of tea flavors and herbal infusions that help your body get rid of toxins, not to mention their soothing effect. So have a cup or two a day and log them as part of your water intake! It’s a win-win situation. Who needs a boring cup of water when you can have a warm, exotic, cozy cup of herbal delight instead?

    You can also add flavor to your water by adding fruit like strawberries and lemon, veggies like cucumber and celery, or herbs like basil and mint. It’s a refreshing idea, especially during summer! As long as it’s healthy fluids, drink up. Easy on juices though they’re loaded with sugar!

    5. Exercise

    I rarely exercised. I used to start a routine and then quickly lose motivation. However, I recently started exercising regularly with the help of an amazing coach and plan on sticking to it! Exercising makes you thirsty and you’ll end up easily drinking a good amount of water.

    6. Drink Water After Bathroom Breaks

    I learned this habit a long time ago and find it actually very smart. Think of it this way: Every time you flush toxins out of your body, refuel with water to keep that toxin-cleaning process going and keep your body hydrated. The more water you drink, the more you’ll have to go to the bathroom, the more your body will thank you for it. Making this a habit easily contributes to your goal!

    It wasn’t easy. There were days when I forced myself to finish a cup and days when I couldn’t reach my goal. Drinking 2 liters of water a day became a new healthy habit with time and persistence. So you have to keep at it. Give yourself time to slowly increase your intake and soon you will notice that your body will start asking for more water.

    Salud!

    xoxo

  • I Broke Up With Sugar – 6 Tips To Help You Do The Same

    I Broke Up With Sugar – 6 Tips To Help You Do The Same

    Now that the holidays are over, I think it’s an excellent time to set some health goals. I used to have a hopelessly sweet tooth. I still LOVE a good dessert, but I learned to balance my sugar intake because I simply decided one day that I wanted to lead a healthier lifestyle. So if like me you’re determined to control your sugar intake, this post is for you! Saying no to sugar is easier said than done, which is why I’m sharing with you the little changes I made that personally helped me ditch the horrible effects of sugar on my body. Here are some of those effects:

    • Feeling tired all the time.
    • Skin problems – acne around my mouth and chin.
    • Felt moody, irritable, and stressed out.
    • I sometimes couldn’t get a good night’s sleep.
    • Lost motivation to work out.

    It’s important I mention first that when we talk about too much sugar, we mean added sugar. The main difference between the two is simple: Processed sugar is added to food like white sugar, fructose, and corn syrup (there are so many others too), while natural sugar is naturally found in some food like dairy products, fruit, and vegetables.

    1. Cup of Tea, Sugar Free

    Don’t freak out. In fact, adding sugar to tea ruins the initial taste! I used to add 3 tsp of sugar to any kind of tea I was having. I gradually started decreasing the quantity to 1 tsp and eventually started drinking my tea with no sugar at all. It was only then that I realized how many tea flavors I was missing out on! If sometimes I feel like adding a sweetener, I throw in half a cinnamon stick which gives a naturally sweet taste, or 1/2 a tsp of honey. You can also add milk for the creamy feel. It’s all a matter of time until your taste buds get used to natural sweetness and will no longer ask for added sugars.

    2. Frothed Milk With Your Coffee

    Coffee is a bit harder for me to swallow without sugar. Although I already used to have my occasional coffee with milk, it was still hard for me to enjoy it without sugar. I later learned that it actually tastes sweeter when frothed! Nevertheless, I ended up reducing, even more, my coffee consumption because I didn’t feel excited about it anymore. I can live with that. I’m more of a tea and herbal infusions enthusiast but I suppose you already figured that one out.

    3. Chocolate? Go Dark!

    I’m a HUGE chocolate craver, but I always preferred dark chocolate. And, it’s much healthier! 100 grams of dark chocolate with more than 70% of cocoa contains iron, magnesium, and zinc. While some brands can contain up to 90% cocoa, I usually stick to 70% or 80% ones. The higher the cocoa content, the lower the sugar levels, and the less you need to satisfy your cocoa cravings. This way you will be reducing your sugar intake! Try it!

    4. Homemade Desserts

    I decided to limit my purchase of sweet snacks. This way when I crave something sweet, I have to prepare it myself or eat fruit instead of binging on unhealthy added sugars! I always search for low sugar recipes or add less than the amount indicated in one. Doing so, I enjoy homemade desserts guilt-free, because I know exactly what’s in there. When you prepare your desserts yourself, you control the quantity and kind of sugars you include. Furthermore, it can be super helpful in case you, a family member, or a friend coming over has food allergies or dietary restrictions. You avoid the risk of any allergic reactions, and everyone can enjoy a dessert baked with love!

    5. Watch Out For Hidden Sugars!

    Sugar is everywhere! There are hidden sugars in canned food, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, Teriyaki sauce, pizza sauce, Sriracha, salad dressings, crackers, chips, and granola bars to name a few. Added sugars are present in almost all ready-to-use products and we buy it because it’s convenient. However, many dressings can easily be homemade including ketchup, salad dressings, chocolate spreads, etc. Believe me, there are so many things you can prepare yourself and they don’t take time! I will share some ideas in later posts. If you really need to buy something ready-made, then make sure to read the nutritional facts label and choose the one with no “added sugars” or the least sugar quantity.

    6. Eat Fruits

    I admit I personally used to prefer dessert over any fruit up until I realized how bad the effects of sugar were on my health. Therefore, I started to eat more fruits instead. Doing so satisfies your sweet cravings with natural sugars instead of running after the unhealthy ones. Oh, and don’t replace whole fruits with juice, dried fruits, and smoothies because those contain higher levels of sugar and it’s more concentrated! For instance, one cup of orange juice consists of three medium oranges! Moderation is key. Let’s just say I make sure not to drink it very often. As for dried fruits, I save them for hiking trips or long rides when I need that extra energy boost.

    I hope this helps! I can honestly say I’m over my relationship with sugar. It was difficult at first but gradually became easier, so don’t be too hard on yourself. You will feel so much better when you control your consumption! But hey, I still enjoy every bit of my occasional Caramel Mocha and indulge in delicious desserts, but that just became less frequent. Let me know what you think, how it goes, and if you found other ways to avoid added sugar, share your ideas with me in the comments I would love to hear from you!