Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Our body contains plenty of water and two-thirds of what we are, is made up of water. Water impacts 100% of the processes taking place in our body. Drinking sufficient water regularly has various health benefits. Water has no calories, sugar, carbohydrates or fat.

The amount of water that you drink up every day plays a critical role in maintaining health of your body.  Drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day maintains your health wonderfully and is advised by experts.

Here are some amazing benefits of drinking water:

Improves Mood:

According to research, mild dehydration negatively affects your ability to think and your mood. Being dehydrated takes a toll on your cognitive function and your mood as well.  Your urine colour tends to be a good indicator regarding your hydration level. The lighter the colour better level of hydration and vice versa. Remaining hydrated keeps you in a fresh mood feeling light and active.

Relieving Fatigue:

Are you tired often? Or simply get tired easily? There is a possibility that it is due to inadequate consumption of water making the body function less actively and efficiently. Fatigue is the first and foremost sign of dehydration.

With less water in the body, the blood volume drops causing the heart to work harder in order to pump oxygenated blood in the bloodstream. Other organs are affected as well. Drinking water enables your body to function better reducing fatigue.

Aids in Digestion and Constipation:

Water improves and boosts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Water assists in the digestion process preventing constipation. Drinking less water results in constipation as the colon is made to pull water from waste to maintain the hydration which makes it stiff and hard to pass.

Water helps in metabolism thus helping in properly breaking down the food. This aids in digestion and promotes regular bowel movement. Warm water is particularly good for the digestive health.

Helps in Weight Loss:

Drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals suppresses your appetite which supports immensely in weight loss. Water fills your stomach and lessens the tendency to eat more. Drinking water enhances the rate at which body burns fat and it also helps on elimination and breakdown of fat cells.

Water is an incredible replacement for high-calorie drinks like alcohol and other sugary fizzy drinks and sodas that contribute a lot in gaining weight.

Inner Glow and Healthy Skin:

Water cleanses as well making your skin glow. Drinking water not only makes you healthy from inside but from the outside as well. Well-hydrated body improves the capillary blood flow that helps in having a healthier, glowing younger looking skin.

A well-hydrated body gets enough water that makes your skin feeling moisturized and leaving it fresh, soft and smooth. Water helps in replenishing the skin tissue increases the elasticity in your skin. Also, water helps on preventing scars, acne, wrinkles and soft lines along with other aging signs.

Clean Mouth:

Drinking plenty of water and rinsing your mouth with water especially after snacks or meals removes bacteria, food particles stuck in teeth or gum line as well as fighting bad breath.

So drink up and be healthy both from inside and outside!

Healthy Mac & Cheese Recipe

HEALTHY MAC & CHEESE RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry whole wheat macaroni

1 tsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, chopped

3 cups cubed butternut squash

1¾ cups low-sodium organic chicken broth

1 cup low-fat (1%) milk

2 Tbsp. low-fat (1%) plain Greek yogurt

1 cup shredded Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)

Nonstick cooking spray

Finely chopped fresh parsley (for garnish; optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Add onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Set aside.

5. Combine squash, broth, and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; gently boil for 22 to 25 minutes, or until squash is tender.

6. Place squash mixture in a blender or food processor; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until smooth.

7. Combine squash mixture, macaroni, onion mixture, yogurt, and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper if desired; mix well.

8. Place macaroni mixture in a 13 x 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish that has been coated with spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling.

9. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Tip: Blend small batches of hot liquids in blender or food processor since they expand during the blending process, therefore decreasing the chance of overflowing.

21 Day Fix Container Equivalents:

1/2 green

2 yellows

1 blue

A Mother's Treasure is Her Daughter.

We needed a little MOMMY/DAUGHTER time this week. Kennedy's behavior, hard work, attendance, and kindness at school deserved a special reward. And me? I just needed to fill my cup. Her smile and some alone time does it every time!!!! So we went to get our nails done at a local nail salon right behind our house!! We had such a nice time! We chatted, we laughed, and we picked out ALL of our favorite colors.

When I headed to the front to pay our bill, it suddenly hit me how doing simple treasures like this one were not possible just a few years ago. Up to our eyeballs in medical debt and scared ISH-less about our daughter's spinal condition, spending money frivolously like this was NOT in the budget. I would have felt guilty. I would have been trading out groceries or gas for the nail salon. Nail salons fell below the RED LINE.

The RED LINE?

Uh, it's this dreaded line that actually saved our financial future when there wasn't enough to go around. After completing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University (at home with borrowed CD-roms), we learned how to do a monthly budget. The only problem was, there wasn't enough coming in to pay what needed to go out. We paid our NECESSITIES first (groceries, gas, power, mortgage, diapers, formula) and then spread out what money we had left to every other debt (stupid retail credit cards with astronomically high rates, credit card bills we used to survive when I was between jobs and running around to medical appointments, and so on). Then, I drew the red line.

If there wasn't enough money to pay you, you fell below the RED LINE and I'm sorry, but you weren't getting paid. Did I feel awful about it? You bet! I felt sick about it! I lost sleep. I cried. I worried. (cue the depression and anxiety here)

But with the power of positivity (that I was thankfully born with), we pulled ourselves up by our boot straps. We stuck with the budget and little by little, we could send an extra $5 here and then when one bill was paid off, we snowballed that debt to the next debt and slowly (S-L-O-W-L-Y), the debtors below the red line began to disappear.

Fast forward several years and a lot of sacrifice has happened to make special moments like this nail salon to happen including: selling our house to pay a lower rent to free up cash flow, selling stuff (LOTS OF STUFF), getting really organized so I knew where my money always was, and some true HUSTLE! I'm so thankful to have married my passion (health, fitness, and PEOPLE) with something that I can earn an income at. It started as $30 a week and grew to $100 a week and even $500 per week at times. But it didn't just LAND in my lap. Oh no!

I worked, consistently. I worked when it was fun (people said yes, my challenge groups were full of excitement, women loved my recipes, they thanked me for my help, and so on) and I worked when it SUCKED (everyone said no, I felt like crap, I didn't have the motivation for myself let alone inspire others, and I felt like ISH about my body). But I worked. I kept going. I showed up. I showered my challengers with content and love and support.

I can't imagine my life without this gift now. It's definitely not always easy but I love it to the core and it's been a blessing to my family. Hard work pays off my friends! Don't give up. Don't give in!

***Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success. Success as a Team Beachbody Coach is dependent upon skill, hard work, and commitment.

When I Eat Like Crap, I Feel Like Crap.

TIME TO REGROUP!!!!

I got injured.

I got down.

I gave in.

Simple as that.

Now I feel like shit.

Truth.

But as I recover and pick myself up, though I am disappointed in losing some of my results, I am still proud that I am picking myself up. I'm still proud that I've lost 30 pounds and I know in my gut, that I can keep going! I have to! Why would I give in now? I have coaches counting on me, challengers counting on me, my hubby & daughter counting on me, and ME COUNTING ON ME!

I know what giving up feels like.

I'd like to know what it feels like to NOT give up.

Some Days She Joins Us

Some days she joins me. Some days she watches. Some days she is in another room doing her own thing. But, every day she knows that fitness is a part of my daily life. One day, it will be a part of her daily life too because she has watched it for years! She understands why we workout because we talk about it regularly. She sees that we are not obsessed or insane about it. She sees that we don't avoid it or hate doing it. She deserves a healthy life and I am very hopeful that we are giving her the tools she needs to believe in herself, have confidence in herself, and most importantly, to love herself.

Where are you focusing?

I have a genuine question for you. When you think about something you really want, let's say how much weight you want to lose or your dream job, what is it you focus on? For me, I've recently realized that I'm a big dreamer. I am! I love to set a vision for myself and I truly believe I can do it. I am confident, passionate, and incredibly positive. But one thing I haven't done a good job focusing on, is exactly HOW am I going to get there?

You see - I've been viewing my dreams through a telescope. And to be upfront, there's nothing wrong with that. It's important to see the big picture. It's important to have a WHY and an end in mind. It helps keep you going when things get tough. And right now, things are rough!

I've started back to work in my school job after having the summer off and have become inundated with referrals and new students to add to my caseload. I have new bosses and new expectations. I am fine with all of the above, but it certainly is stressful and new! Change always is. On top of that, I'm dealing with a DAMN back and hip injury that happened about 10 years ago and I'm just starting to wonder if hurting is going to be part of my daily routine. I don't want to accept that! I just can't but I'm not sleeping well because of the pain and I'm down on myself because I'm not getting closer to my personal fitness goals. On top of that, I feel like my business is taking a slide backwards. I'm questioning myself as a leader and feeling very scattered as a business woman/CEO.

With all of that on my plate, I could so easily throw my hands up! Throw in the towel. Say "you've given it a good run girl!" and move on. I sometimes get tickled to think about the extra free time I would have if I wasn't running a business on top of a family and full-time career. But then I'm reminded, reminded of me and my personality. I won't be able to sit still. I will want to find other ways to better my family's life financially. I'll miss helping people with their health & fitness. I know because I've quit before and I know what it feels like. I taught aerobics for ten years before giving it up due to injury and it wasn't long before I was on the hunt for something else to fill that passion for me! Coaching was definitely the right answer.

So my telescope lens has been very crucial in sticking it out when times are tough. I know deep down in my soul that I'm meant to do this and if I give up now, I'll always feel that void. I see what's possible and I don't see why I'm any less deserving than any other top-performing CEO out there!

But I have realized (through personal development), that I need to put on my microscope lens too. I can't forget about the DAILY actions that are required to get there. I have to hone in on my behaviors that will get me to my telescopic end goal. You see, goals are great. They are very important! But, instead of writing those down, today I'm choosing to write down my commitments instead. HOW am I going to get there? What am I willing to do? What do I have to change in order to make it? I need to stay HUNGRY and I need to be PRODUCTIVE!

I need to do what others are not willing to do! I need to do it with INTENSITY! That's what it takes! That's what I urge you to consider. Think about your goals, yes! But write down you commitments. Make the daily change and reflect on it daily. Did you do what you needed to do to be successful that day? Did you plan out what needed to be done ahead of time so when you sat down to do it, you didn't waste time searching? Ask yourself these questions!

Consider: telescope & microscope!

Rainbow Flatbread Pizza

Rainbow Veggie Flatbread Pizza

Total Time: 23 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 8 min.
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:
1 6½-inch whole wheat pita (or whole wheat flatbread)
¼ cup marinara sauce, no sugar added
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
¼ cup chopped orange bell pepper
¼ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped green bell pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped broccoli florets
2 Tbsp. chopped red onion

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Place pita on a large baking sheet.
3. Spread marinara sauce evenly on pita. Top evenly with cheese.
4. Starting at the edge of the pita, place an approximately 1½-inch circle of tomatoes around the edge of the whole pita. Continue with a 1-inch circle each orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, and broccoli. Make sure each vegetable is touching the previous one. Place onions in the middle.
5. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
6. Slice each pita into 4 slices. Serve immediately.

Tip: Look a marinara sauce that has an ingredient list that does not contain artificial sweeteners, additives, or preservatives.

21 Day Fix Color Correlations: 1 blue, 1 & 1/2 green, 2 yellow, 1/2 purple

Recipe compliments of Team Beachbody. Check out their site for more great recipes!