Hello to the 5th day!  Yes, we are 5 days in on this 30-day journey.  Have you made the commitment with me? I have achieved the task each day. As I progress to the next day, I work to maintain what I have already started.

What has been most important to me in this first week is the daily consumption of water. Our bodies need water for our organs to function properly, for the blood in our bodies to flow well to all of our tissues that it feeds with nutrients and oxygen. Some debate on whether water is best warm or cold. My stance is this… Drink it however you like it. The main point is to drink it. I did find that drinking the glass of water before my meals resulted in me eating less. So I did tweak my day #2 on day #3 with drinking water with my meals. I drink a decent amount before the meal and throughout the meal and then end my meal finishing my water. I would actually drink more water that way. This morning, I noticed that y skin was clearer, too.

What can you do you do not like the taste of water? Here are a few suggestions to increase your water consumption without drinking a glass of water:

1. Dilute your drinks with water. For example, apple juice mixed 1:1 with water tastes great. Try it!
2. Opt for juices instead of sodas or other carbonated drinks.
3. Be careful with the sugar content of your drink. Try drinks sweetened with stevia or low glycemic sugar alcohols, e.g. erythritol. My favorites are Bai Strawberry Lemonade, Bai Gimbi Pink Grapefruit, and Vitaminwater Lemonade.
   

   Bai Strawberry Lemonade with a homemade steak burrito. Both were delicious!

4. Keep your water cold with an insulated cup or thermos during your workouts. It will taste more like a refreshing treat during your work out.

As for today’s task, plan your meals and add fruit or vegetable to every meal.  Here are 2 tip that I use to keep fruits and veggies in my meal options.

1. Breakfast: Add a banana or sliced apple to your breakfast or have a  breakfast smoothie that contains veggies and fruit.  I love a spinach, blueberry, and strawberry smoothie.
2. Lunch or Dinner: Including a salad, steamed and reasonably seasoned veggies, e.g broccoli, cauliflower, cooked green beans, or soup with vegetables.  Also, I eat more of the vegetables earlier in my meal.

I hope these tips help you, as they do for me. These thirty days are mean to be stress-free and simple ways to improve your health. Modify, as needed to make the small changes in your life that will lead to larger and permanent changes in your health. If you are just joining, use the link below to access the 30-day Healthier Habits Plan.

EM 30 Day Healthy Habit Checklist