I’m sure you’ve all heard that you need 8 glasses of water a day. For some it may seem like a huge task to keep filling up with water and making endless trips to the bathroom (especially for us girls). However, water is the key ingredient for health and beauty. Without water our bodies will stop working properly and start showing severe signs of dehydration.

Up until the last couple of years I had no idea what a toll I have taken on my own body by not getting enough water. In fact, I had to go to the hospital for dehydration. I was dizzy, severely nauseous and running a high fever. Given, this was in the hottest days of summer! However it really doesn’t take much to dehydrate your body. According to biologists, a healthy adult can lose about 2.5 liters a day! Our lungs expel about 2-4 cups, another 2-4 cups from perspiration and on top of that about 6 cups from urinating. (webmd.com)

In the last couple of year’s I have lost alot of weight. Just by filling up with water! Every meal has consisted with drinking a bottle of water before the meal, and that alone has saved my caloric intake from being too high. I understand that just drinking water can become challenging at times, so I’ve created a list of ways to make it easier.

Tips on how to make drinking water easier:

-Have a bottle of water with you at all times. Make it accessible! If lugging in a case of bottled water into the house all the time is time consuming. Keep one in your house and one in your trunk. That way you have no excuses!

-Even better, keep a pitcher of filtered water in your refrigerator with at least a liter and a half of water to remind you to finish, and keep drinking it! A visual reminder is always the best way to go!

-Jazz up your water! Put a lemon, lime, strawberry, mint, cucumber, On-the-go packets of light Crystal Light, or drink it with de-caffeinated tea. (Caffeine and alcohol are natural diuretics and can make you lose the water you’ve been trying to keep!)

-Drink from your favorite wine glass or prettiest glasses (that way it’ll become a fun ritual)

-When it’s cold outside, drink warm water! You can put lemon in it to soothe your throat as well.

-Have a water bottle in your hand and drink it often! It will soon become second nature to you. Just as food or smoking to some people have become a social comfort, your water can too. (Plus, it’s much healthier)

Don’t be afraid of becoming bloated with water. Within the first few days it’ll be normal, after that you should start to notice your body will adjust. When your body doesn’t get enough water, it holds onto it. When you start drinking enough every day, your body will know to get rid of it.

How can water help your beauty?

-If you have dry skin, drinking a lot of water can help your body from having overactive oil glands. Meaning your body will cut down on producing oil and it’ll help your from breaking out with acne.

-Your skin will become more hydrated, less dry

-You can cut back on your caloric intake by drinking more water, resulting in losing weight

-Water helps your hair stay silky and shiny

-When your skin is too dry, it’s elasticity is at risk. By not having supple skin, you can produce wrinkles at a faster rate. This is why moisturizers with SPF are very important as well

Cheer’s to one of life’s simple pleasures!

I wanted to know what the best foods are for my hair, skin, nails, and body. So I researched what REALLY works, and whats a natural alternative to buying high cost beauty products. My belief is that by intaking the right healthy foods you will have all the vitamins and minerals your body should need without added fuss with these high cost money making products that beauty corporations keep pushing to us. Here is my list of foods that will help your appearance and health!

1. Water!

 Water replenishes your vital organs and keeps your body working in perfect sychronization. It will keep you feeling good and can even help higher your metabolism. Go to the Media and Resources page and click on the Beauty and Brains Blog to read more about the benefits!

2. Fatty Acids

Walnuts, Salmon, Almonds, Tuna, Trout and Flax Seed are just a few of the wonderful things that contain Omega 3 and Omega 6. These fats are healthy for our body and help aid us in healthy looking skin.

 

 

3. Green Tea

Green tea is said to help people lose weight. Green tea has other healthy attributes such as lowering your chance of getting certain cancers, anti-inflammatory properties and protects cell membranes.

 

4. Tomatoes

Tomatoes have lycopene, a carotenoid that may help to keep your skin smooth. Many studies have been done that suggest tomatoes help protect your skin, especially in the sun. It has been said that lycopene is a “natural sunscreen”. Watermelon and carrots have lycopene too.

 

To read more about this “natural sunscreen” go here:

http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=091807_antioxidant_supplements_lycopene_uv_ray_skin_sunscreen_protects_against_wrinkle_damage_dr_oz_on_oprah.htm

5. Vitamin C

Vitamin C rich food such as strawberries, red bell peppers, papaya and broccoli are just a few with large amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an ingredient that is in many beauty products. So why waste the money on buying these products when you can eat them for lunch or a healthy snack? Vitamin C help ward off wrinkles and have anti-aging effects. Appearently this vitamin is a large role in collagen synthesis and has skin smoothing effects.

6. Leafy greens

 

 

I used to love eating the plain iceberg lettuce with absolutely no nutritional value.

Now I know that the darker the leaf the better. Spinach and dark greens such as broccoli, swiss chard and dark lettuce help clear acne and are loaded with vitamins!

7. Olive Oil

Is the fountain of youth! You should have about 1-2 tsp everyday. Use it to cook your food, but be careful not to heat it too much.

When heated too much it causes the healthy oil to be damaged, thus not helping you in the long run. Studies find that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is supposed to be more helpful that regular olive oil.