Wedding season is certainly in full swing. Whether you’re a bride-to-be, a bridesmaid or a guest, these tips will help you whittle down your waist with a little focus on water, so you can look and feel great on your big day.
With a wedding and all the celebrations leading up to it, water intake is something to make a priority!
3 Reasons Why Water is Important:
1. It helps maintain the body's fluid balance (buh-bye bloating): Think of the body as a well-oiled machine that is constantly at work to achieve balance, aka "homeostasis." Over half of our body is composed of water, which is essential for daily functioning, such as digestion, circulation, transport of nutrients, and temperature regulation. The brain and kidneys are in constant communication, working to sustain fluid balance; the signaling results in fluid retention or excretion. You can see how drinking sufficient amounts of water helps the body the work properly, balance the fluid, and keep you bloat free.
2. It helps flush out toxins: Waste within the body is transported by body fluids. The kidneys play a large role in the filtration of fluids and ridding the body of toxins. Blood urea nitrogen is the main toxin within the body that is filtered out through urine. Sufficient water intake aids in the filtration process via the kidneys. It's not the most pleasant thought, but your urine concentration and color can tell a lot about whether or not you're getting enough fluids.
3. It helps regulate hunger and cravings: Enough said, right?! If the water volume of the body falls below a certain level or the concentration of molecules, such as salt is too high, the brain signals your body to seek out water ((aka feeling of thirst)) as a survival mechanism. Within the body, this signaling is located in the OVLT within the brain, which is also the same place involved in hunger. Consequently, the two signals are often misinterpreted (ie: we are thirsty, yet believe we are hungry). Therefore, regularly drinking water can help to manage feelings of hunger and cravings.
Before I get ready for bed each night, I fill up a large pitcher with water and toss in some fruit and/or herbs to add flavor (you can find my favorite infusion recipe below). The next day, I use that pitcher to fill up my smaller water bottles throughout the day; this is my trick to tracking my water intake. By dinner time, I typically have consumed all the water, but if it's not gone, it's a good visual for me to focus on my fluids!
Infused Water Recipe:
1 cucumber
1 lemon
1 handful of fresh mint leaves
Directions:
1. Remove the skin of the lemon
2. Slice the cucumber and lemon into rounds
3. Add cucumber, lemon and mint to a pitcher of water and allow it to infuse for a minimum of 1 hour
In addition, focusing on the fluids that are released from the body is a sure step to looking and feeling great for the big day. Below you will find an arm workout that will rev up the body’s core temperature to help you sweat so that you can sparkle on your special day!
XO,
Lauren
Lauren Gleisberg is a recently engaged health and fitness enthusiast, with several years experience in the industry. She's well-known for her motivating and achievable tips and programs, which can be found on her website. We'll be following her monthly with her plans for a healthy body and mind leading up to her wedding day.
For frequent healthy living tips and inspiration visit Lauren's website or follow her on Instagram: @laurengleisberg
