What’s the one ingredient that your body and soul need to survive and thrive throughout your entire life?
You might answer "food," "movement," or "sunlight." But the substance I have in mind comes into play at baptism. It washes us from sin, and allows us to become sons and daughters of God and participate in His gift of salvation. This ingredient is blessed and found near the entrances of every Catholic church as a powerful sacramental that imparts graces and helps us fight temptation.
It's water, of course, and if we don’t allow our bodies to consume it daily, our kidneys, heart, digestive system, and skin, among other things, will all begin to weaken and break down. Water is essential to our bodies and souls. Full stop.
So if there's one easy thing you can do right now to improve your physical health, it may be to drink more water. This study shows the benefits of water that we were aware of 10 years ago, and the authors admit they're only scratching the surface. Using holy water more often, at church, and even in your home, will also help your spiritual life immensely.
If your body seems to be functioning relatively well without more water, maybe your desire to look good can work to your advantage and convince you to have more. Studies have found that the water you ingest actually helps with reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. This study shows that increasing water in your diet actually helps decrease your intake of foods and drinks that are high in sugars and saturated fats.
Convinced to try more water? Great. But starting new habits can be difficult, particularly the habit of increasing your water intake. Here are a few tips to help you get over the rough beginning waves of increased daily hydration.
Many of us dislike the taste of water, or we just have so many other beverages that we prefer. To help your body crave water rather than, say, coffee or Dr. Pepper, cut down on those other drinks for a while. Limit yourself to one or two “other” drinks a day and rely on water as your go-to refreshment.
This is a great tip especially if you don't care for the taste of your tap water. There are many options that you can find to remove impurities and improve the taste. Sometimes even just putting a glass of water in the refrigerator or adding some ice cubes will make water more appetizing.
The most effective trick that has helped me drink more water at home is twofold: I found a large mason jar that is pretty. I want to drink out of it, rather than the less attractive plastic cups or smaller mugs that I was using before. Also, I bought a pack of reusable straws. The combination of the prettier, large capacity glass with the ease of the straw helped me change my haphazard “one or two small cups of water a day” lifestyle.
How much water do you need to drink every day? Here's a general guideline to check out. Once you've decided how much you want to drink, figure out how you can do that feasibly in a day. You might decide to drink a glass before meals, and then keep a water bottle with the rest of the water you need to drink to sip on throughout the day. Figure out what works for you and then dive right in. Decide to implement your new water policy for the next three months, and don’t stop for special occasions. Focus on consistency.
Water is life. Make it a bigger part of your life and your body and soul will thank you for it!
