So first let’s get all of the important stuff out of the way.

Why is water sooooo important?

Basically everything we do, from breathing to digestion uses water. Literally every cell of our bodies requires water to properly function.

Watching the bachelorette from a horizontal position on your couch requires some level of hydration. That alone is reason enough to drink water.

There are more crucial functions of water, of course. Read about them here. (Cheers to number 15)

But does it actually make a difference? Is the hype around hydration real?

I wanted to find out. So, I challenged myself to increase my water intake for 30 days to see how it would impact my fitness and overall well-being. Thus began that #ETLWATERCHALLENGE.

I currently drink 1.5-litres of water on average.  Some days are better than others… when the only water I get is from the melted ice cubes of my ice coffee. (Insert shame here.)

So, I got started. I made a goal. I googled fancy water concoctions. It helped having something other than plain old H20 ready for day 1.

Day 1: That was a lot of water! First lesson learned; drink most of the water EARLY in the day.  I was up two times during the night – sleep over hydration. #priorities.

Onward I went and this may be TMI but I became obsessed with the hue of my pee.  If it wasn’t crystal clear I felt like I had let myself and my kidneys down.

Week 1: I became a drinking machine.  Double and sometimes triple fisting, water coffee and protein shakes. I was well hydrated but slightly less productive since bathroom breaks now became a thing. The upside – added cardio - my salle de bain (French, for the john) is upstairs so lots of extra steps climbed!

Week 2:  Still on track.  TBH I was hoping all of this extra water would miraculously rid me of my cellulite.  But, no such luck!

Week 3. Water cocktail level-expert! I kept them ready to grab and go to keep me accountable and because if they weren’t made…I wasn’t drinking it. (see below for my favourite pairings)

 Needless to say, I did slip here and there – but I really started to notice when I did.  After 3 weeks of my hydration overhaul my typical 1.5 liters wasn’t cutting it.  I realized now that my hunger and sluggishness was in fact dehydration but had never really realized it.  Now, when I didn’t hit the 4-litre mark…I definitely wasn’t feeling my best.

Week 4: Skin glowing, thirst quenched, body aware! It’s amazing how our ‘normal’ isn’t necessarily our ‘best’. I recognized how accustomed to being dehydrated I had become and how much better I felt when I was properly hydrated.  I work out hard and never really sweat.  All of a sudden, I was drenched by the end of my training sessions.  Where was all that water before????

Now, hydrated, I feel like I have a little more bounce back to my 40 something year old skin (and as I sit at the bar of my local restaurant writing this, have been told by my skin looks great) but overall it was more about the physical that the visual.

Currently: Drinking my water and writing blogs! 

EAT RIGHT TRAIN SMART LIVE WELL

Lonie xx

Here are a few of my favourite combos!

Orange-Basil

Turmeric-Ginger-Lemon and Cayenne

Lime-Mint

Watermelon-Mint

Raspberry-Mint …basically anything with mint lol

Add full herb leaves, fruits slices or berries. Add water and enjoy!

 Do you have hydration tips?  Share them below.