7 Reasons to Drink More Water

Most people know they should be drinking more water, so why don't they? A recent survey showed that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. It's no coincidence that many of us feel tired, sluggish, and foggy as well. While nutrition and exercise play a large part in our overall health, many people neglect to prioritize hydration alongside their other wellness efforts or are drinking too many caffeinated or sugary beverages and diets high in sodium.

Here are some of the best reasons to drink more water and some of the ways you can easily improve your health through getting more H2O.

1. Keep it Balanced

About 60% of your body is made up of water, if you aren't drinking enough, your body doesn't have enough for basic functions like regulating your temperature and digesting food.

2. Weight Loss

Now that I have your attention, most often when people feel hungry, they are actually experiencing thirst. Next time you're hungry, try drinking a full glass of water and waiting around 15 minutes before eating a meal or snack. Water also has zero calories and when swapped with higher calorie drinks, can help you lose weight. Plus, water can increase your body's fat-burning ability and promotes the breakdown and elimination of fat cells. Are you sold yet?

3. More Energy

One major side effect of dehydration is fatigue, next time you have that afternoon energy slump and think about reaching for another cup of coffee, try having a cold glass of water and going for a short walk.

4. Better Focus

Dehydration has been shown to put stress on cognitive functioning and linked to decreases in concentration and short-term memory and even increase anxiety and irritability. Prolonged dehydration can cause persistent symptoms, meaning that cognitive function in some cases was compromised even after adequate hydration was reached.

5. Smooth moves

Drinking adequate water helps your digestive system work more smoothly. It will also help your body break down food more effectively and help boost your metabolism.

6. Clear complexion

Water can help flush toxins out of the body that can build up and lead to skin congestion and acne. Water will also help hydrate your skin from the inside out helping it look more plump and radiant.

7. Rock your workout

Intense cardio and weight lifting sessions can make you break a sweat, which means you are losing electrolytes and fluids that make it harder for your muscles to perform. By replenishing those fluids, your muscles, which are 75% water, won't fatigue as quickly and your body can recover faster meaning you can hit that next workout just as hard.

If that isn't enough to convince you, water is delicious! If you need to mix it up, non-caffeinated beverages can count towards your water total like sparkling water and herbal tea. For even more flavor or an extra boost, tablets like Nuun can help replenish electrolytes to give you that extra boost! Even choosing a fun water bottle, setting reminders on your phone and keeping your water in eyesight can help you stay on track.

Happy hydrating!

Make Your Morning Workout Happen

It's a new year and if one of your goals is to be a morning workout person, you're not alone. Getting in your workout first thing means you're more likely to do it since as the day goes on, we often find excuses or our schedules get busy. Working out first thing in the morning often means you have more energy throughout the day and can lead to better productivity and mental health.

Still hate getting up early in the dark? I hear ya, here are some of my best tips for ensuring you don't hit snooze on your morning sweat session.

1. Set Out Your Workout Clothes - We all like to get as much sleep as possible, so don't waste time fumbling around for clothes in the dark when you're half-awake. Set your clothes out the night before, or better yet, sleep in your workout clothes if they are comfortable. You'll be ready to roll right out of bed and be on your way to a great workout.

2. Get More Sleep - It will definitely be easier to get up early if you go to bed at a decent time. Try getting to sleep 15 minutes earlier to start and work your way up to 30 minutes. You'll feel better and give your body more time to recover which means you can hit your workout harder and achieve those gains.

3. Distance Yourself From the Alarm - It's much easier to roll back to sleep when you can hit the snooze right next to your bed. Put your phone or alarm across the room or somewhere you have to get out of bed to turn it off and you'll be less likely to get back under the covers.

4. Shed Some Light on the Situation - Yes it's that time of year where it's often dark when we wake up which makes it hard to not only get up but really wake up your body. Try turning on a soft light as soon as you get up to signal to your body that it's time to be awake and start moving!

5. Make Breakfast Ahead of Time - Skipping breakfast before an early morning workout isn't always the best option, but many of us don't want to get up even earlier to cook something. Plan your breakfast ahead so you can just throw it in the microwave or grab a healthy snack bar if you need to eat something before you workout. Also having breakfast ready means you can replenish those muscles post-workout quickly. (Check out my homemade bar recipes here)

6. Get Brewing - If you are a coffee drinker, this is the time to go ahead and have that cup of joe. It will not only help wake you up but studies show moderate amounts of caffeine can assist with exercise in reducing fatigue and helping you perform longer.

7. Stick With It - No matter how you feel or easy it is to snooze that alarm, remember that the more you do it, the easier it will get and become part of your routine.

8. Create Accountability - Whether it's with a personal trainer, an appointment you're paying for, or a friend you're meeting, even for a virtual workout - make yourself accountable to someone or something. Knowing someone is waiting for you will motivate you to get out of bed even when you don't feel like it.

9. Crank Up the Tunes - Don't underestimate the power of a good playlist. Having something that's going to get you moving and in a good mood is a great way to energize your morning and mood.

10. Remember those good feelings - Just remember, your workout is most likely no more than an hour which is only 4% of your entire day. Commit to making time for yourself and remember how good you will feel once you have done it and get to carry that good feeling with you for the rest of the day!

Getting your workout in first thing has a lot of benefits but ultimately, the best time of day to workout is when YOU are likely to do it and stick with it. A lot of these tips can be applied to any time of day if you're needing some extra help wih consistency.

Need even more support? I'd love to help - my exercise coaching and programming offers accountability to help you reach your goals so feel free to reach out. Happy New Year!

Hearty Harvest Salad

I really look forward to fall for the leaves changing, pumpkin everything, and all of the delicious and nutritious foods that are in season during this transition. Or at least that's what I tell myself to cope with the colder, shorter days :)

I love eating salads year round but I don't love just noshing on cold, raw veggies in the winter. There's a reason you crave cooling foods that are high in water in the summer like watermelon and cucumber and warming foods in the winter like soups and certain spices like cinnamon we commonly see in dishes and baked goods. There is also some evidence to show that by eating warming foods, less energy is required to create heat in the digestive tract and thus, leaves more energy for digestion and allows the body to better absorb it's nutrients.

From a nutrition standpoint, this salad achieves balance with a plant based protein (farro), a leafy green (kale), an acid for digestion (vinegar), healthy fats (oil and nuts), warming spices (cinnamon), and seasonal produce (kale, squash and apple). Yay!

This salad comes together easily and can be your main dish or an easy side. Serve this beauty right away or keep in the fridge for a few days. I recommend warming for a tiny bit in the microwave if taking directly out of the fridge (if you're ok with using this, a quick nuke shouldn't affect the nutrients too much) or just letting sit at room temperature for a bit before eating.

Let me know if you make it, and how you like it! Do you enjoy this time of year? What's your favorite squash?

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Hearty Harvest Salad

Prep Time : 10 minutes | Total time : 20 minutes | 4 servings

Ingredients :

1 large bag of pre-washed kale or 2 heads of kale washed and de-stemmed

1/2 large butternut squash

1 honeycrisp or other seasonal apple

3/4 cup farro

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1.5 tablespoons dijon mustard

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions :

1. Preheat oven to 425. Peel and cube butternut squash into 1/2 inch pieces, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, a dash of salt & pepper, and cinnamon. Place in oven for about 20 minutes until cooked and browned, stir once.

2. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil, add farro. Boil for 10 minutes and drain excess water, allow to cool.

3. While squash is cooking, place kale in a large bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and vinegar and begin to massage. Work the oil and vinegar into the leaves for a few minutes until they soften and darken in color.

4. Chop apple into 1/2 inch cubes and toss with kale. Add cooked farro to bowl and toss to combine. Add chopped walnuts.

5. Remove squash from oven, allow to cool slightly and combine with other salad ingredients.

6. Combine remaining olive oil, vinegar, mustard and salt & pepper to taste and pour over salad, stir to coat.

7. Enjoy!