Healthy Hydration {GIVEAWAY!}

For whatever reason, I really don’t like the taste of plain water. Never have, don’t think I ever will. BUT that doesn’t mean that I can’t still stay hydrated! We all know how important it is to get lots of fluids, especially in the summer,  and especially when you exercise.

(Old picture–I can’t believe how different I look actually!)

But if you struggle with that goal like I do then I think these tips will help! I’m still working on getting in more liquids every day but sticking with these principles has helped me A LOT! And at the end of this post there’s an awesome giveaway!

1. Soda and “juice” shouldn’t count toward your hydration!

While Tropicana OJ and Coke are both delicious, they are LOADED with sugar and do your body no good. Most grocery store juices have been zapped of most of their nutrition and really aren’t the best option for daily hydration. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t enjoy juice, but it’s good to keep in mind that they’re usually full of sugar and not as healthy as they appear. And I don’t even need to tell you how bad sodas are. My solution? I don’t think of these things as counting toward my daily fluid intake! They’re just treats, and I think of them as such. It works for me! Be careful with things like diet sodas and flavored water…they are not what they appear! Do you guys remember me drinking these by the case?

Well I thought I was doing myself a favor because the ingredients are all natural and it’s marketed as a sparkling water drink. I found out a couple months ago that these bad boys have the SAME AMOUNT OF SUGAR as Coca-Cola or any of those other sodas that I avoid like the plague. And I was drinking them every day (sometimes two a day)!!! Lesson learned. Read your nutrition labels.

2. Go for soda water instead!

Did you know that most soda fountains have a button that dispenses plain carbonated water? Skip the Coke and press that little soda button instead! If you’re like me and enjoy eating out, making this a habit is a great move that really adds up.

This trick makes me feel a lot better about eating convenience food every one in a while.

3. Spice up your sparkling water

I love sparkling water/club soda/seltzer as an alternative to plain water. But if you drink it a lot like I do, sometimes it can get boring on its own. I love the La Croix brand of sparkling water and it comes in many affordable, tasty, natural flavors. My favorites are coconut and lime!

Pellegrino and Polar also make great sparkling waters but can be more expensive. Check where you shop for a store brand–chances are it tastes exactly the same.

You can also get plain sparkling water from any store and make it a little more interesting with some freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice. I also like making a little spritzer by putting a tiny bit of a flavorful juice (like pomegranate) into fizzy water! Delicious and healthy.

4. Make a game out of it

This might sound silly but it works for me. Sometimes I give myself little challenges to drink more water. For example, if I know I want to order by beloved Southern sweet tea…

…I challenge myself to finish drinking the glass of water at the table before I dive into the sweet tea. Or sometimes I make it a game to finish my glass of water before the server comes out with our bread or appetizers. For some reason having a “deadline” like that makes me more motivated!

5. Be PICKY about what you drink!

I think that what you drink is just as important as what you eat. I know people that are very conscious of making healthy food choices, but then load themselves up with coffee and diet sodas all day. If you don’t want crap in your food, don’t accept it in your beverages either! You deserve better. Always read labels because many brands market their drinks as being “healthy” when they’re really loaded with junk. There are some really great brands that make all-natural delicious drinks, so there’s no reason to settle. And that brings me to the next point…

I was recently contacted by Honest Tea, one of my favorite natural beverage companies! I love their drinks because they have very short ingredient lists and are lower in sugar that typical products of its kind. And they’re DELICIOUS! Whenever I’m eating out and see an Honest brand drink, I get it. They generously sent me a bunch of their drinks to try and I absolutely loved all of them. The flavors are so creative and they all taste amazing!

They even have a lower sugar version of my old love…sweet tea.

They also offered to give away some free drinks to you lovely readers!

I’ve been really missing the comment love from you guys (not being totally obvious or anything, am I?) so I’m going to make this one really simple. Leave a comment! That’s it! The first 6 people to comment will receive vouchers for Honest beverages! Hooray!

Thanks for reading (and commenting I hope! 😉 )!

-Lauren