Drinking water (and a lot of it) is one of the best habits I have developed. Like any good habit, it’s hard to stick with it 100% of the time. I drink water every day, but not always enough. When I drink a sufficient amount of water, the benefits are so noticeable. I have more energy and am able to get out of bed a lot easier in the morning. My skin looks and feels better and my muscle tension is nearly gone.
So how much is enough? There are so many different recommendations out there. Drink 8 glasses a day. Drink half your body weight a day. Drink a gallon a day. I think it depends on the person. For me, 50-60 ounces a day on a regular basis is enough to make me feel great. (Sadly neither of those are quite half my body weight) I notice the benefits almost immediately! On the flip side, I quickly start to suffer when I don’t drink enough. Last week I completely slacked on drinking water. There were a few days I barely had 2 glasses of water. My shoulders were killing me. I hold a lot of tension in my upper back/neck/shoulder area. If I don’t drink enough water, I feel it there so quickly. My stomach hurt. I felt like anything I ate just sat there & didn’t move. I was more tired than normal and had a headache several days.
There are so many benefits to drinking water that it’s kind of silly to NOT do it:

• Increase energy
• Aid Weight loss
• Improve skin
• Flush out toxins/Kidney health
• Maintain regular bowel function

Invest in a good water bottle (I prefer glass) I make sure it’s filled up each morning before I leave the house, and fill it up again before I leave work. It’s a 16 oz bottle, so drinking those 2 get me half way to my daily goal. I try to stop drinking by 7:00 or 8:00 pm or else I’m up going to bathroom a few times at night. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink! Michigan summers are hot & humid. It’s easy to get dehydrated quickly so stay ahead of the game!