Two thirds of your body is composed of water. Water, along with food, oxygen, and shelter, is one of the necessities of life. All of the best weight loss and health advice reminds you to drink plenty of water (about eight 8-ounce glasses per day, as you’ve heard over and over). Water is pretty important! And yet…. Some people don’t like it.
If you hate the taste of something that is necessary to keep you not only healthy, but alive, that’s obviously a problem! So what can you do about it?
Test your water. Is it just the water in your home that tastes bad? This often signals a problem with the pH level of the water, or something going wrong with your plumbing. Buy some pH test strips, or ask a professional plumber to test your water. Sometimes a special filter or treatment system is needed (and it might save your appliances and plumbing some wear and tear, too).
Go cold turkey. For some people, water tastes bad simply because they’ve trained their taste buds to hate it. If you’ve relied upon sugary beverages for years, you’ve become so accustomed to the taste that your palate rebels against non-sweet liquids. Switch to water, knowing that in about two or three weeks your tastes buds will adjust. In the long run, your health is worth this small effort.
Infuse water with fruit. Even people who love water will occasionally get tired of drinking the same old thing all the time. Place cut-up fruit in the bottom of a pitcher, fill it with water, and let it infuse overnight in the refrigerator. Now you can enjoy a refreshing fruity beverage, while still meeting your water requirement.
Add cucumber or mint (or both). Use the above strategy, swapping cucumber or mint (or both) for the fruit. You will be amazed at how refreshing this simple beverage can be.
Add some bubbles. Make your drink with half regular water, and half sparkling water, for a little zing. You can also combine this method with the fruit or cucumber infusions.
Drink herbal tea. You don’t want to do this eight times per day, obviously, because you might overload yourself with caffeine. But herbal tea is an acceptable (and healthy) substitute for water once or twice per day.
For more help with your weight loss eating plan, give us a call. We can help you determine how many calories you should consume each day, and put together a nutritional plan that helps you achieve your goals.