Monday, July 29, 2013

Tips for Drinking the Recommended Amounts of Water

  • Drink 2 cups (16 oz) of water before every meal: Science has proven that drinking 2 cups of water before every meal helps you to eat less during meal time and lose weight. If you do this three times daily – at breakfast, lunch, and dinner – you have already consumed 48 ounces of water.
  • Morning and Night: Get into the habit of drinking one glass (16 oz) of water when you wake up and another 8 oz glass before you go to sleep every night. This will add another 24 ounces of water to your daily intake. The easiest way to do this is to keep a glass or container of water at your bedside, that way as soon as you wake up and start your day, you can begin drinking water.
  • Keep Track By Your Container: One thing that has proven to help people consume enough water daily is to buy a special container for their water, like this one or this one, and set a goal of how many times they will fill a finish the container. For example, if you buy a 16 oz container and need to drink 80 ounces of water a day, your goal would be to drink 5 of those daily. Need to drink more water? Try a larger container.
  • Infuse Your Water With Flavor: Water doesn't have to be boring and infusing your water with fruit, herbs, and other flavors can make it much easier to reach your daily goal. Try adding cucumber, strawberries, lemons, limes, and fresh herbs to create flavorful water. This fruit infusion water pitcher is a great way to always have great tasting water on hand.

~Christina Aaron

Monday, July 15, 2013

Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating Out

Most of us enjoy going out to eat once in awhile; however, eating at restaurants can be difficult if you are trying to eat healthy.  Sure, most restaurants offer "healthy" choices but how do you know if they really are healthy? One way to find out is by checking on the restaurant's website - most chain restaurants post the nutritional facts of their dishes on their website.  However, if the restaurant you want to go to does not offer this service, try following these tips from the USDA to help you eat healthy while still enjoying a nice meal at a restaurant. Bon Appétit!