You guys! I have been so excited about this post!! I am thrilled to be introducing a new series on my blog focused on wellness. First a little backstory:
Over the past few months, and really since we had Augustine, I’ve been thinking a lot about wellness as a whole. What does it mean to “be well?” Is it spiritual? Health focused? Fitness related? I feel like it’s a combo of so many things. Focusing on wellness is something that’s become super important to me. I cared about it before having Augustine, but now it’s top of mind. I started my oil journey which has been a huge game changer for me, and it’s also caused me to think about other ways I can put my health, and the health of my family, first and foremost.
My best friend Lizzie and I were talking about this and had the idea to challenge each other to incorporate different wellness ideas on a week by week basis. We could try it out, see how we felt, and then also see which habits stuck. I got really excited about this and thought that maybe you all would be interested in joining too. I posted on Twitter and got a lot of positive responses. So hence, this post and this series!
Lizzie and I brainstormed so many different ideas for challenges that when it came time to think about what challenge to start with it felt a little overwhelming. What would be the perfect kick off challenge? I talked to Matthew and he had a great idea: Start each day with 16 ounces of water. Ah ha! That’s it!
If you’re like me, water is easy to forget about, until you’re thirsty and ready to down a whole bottle. But by then the damage is done and you’re dehydrated. While drinking more water throughout the day is a great goal, it’s easy to forget. In the past I’ve challenged myself to drink water at certain times of the day, I’ve downloaded apps on my phone to help, I’ve even worn 8 bracelets on one arm to move to the other with each glass consumed. It’s tough but I’m always trying! Doing another 8 glass a day challenge doesn’t really excite me, though. I’ve done it. And failed. Multiple times. But maybe {hopefully!} I can remember to incorporate water first thing in the morning before I forget. So I’m going to start there. The benefits of drinking water upon waking up are very convincing. Here are the top 4 that are the most compelling to me personally:
- Water Rehydrates. Your body is naturally dehydrated after a long night’s slumber. No matter how much water you had the day before, you need to refuel! Even if you don’t feel like you’re thirsty, your body definitely is. You just went 7-8 hours without drinking anything. Usually, I go straight into drinking coffee in the mornings but that just further dehydrates my already thirsty body. It’s so backward!
- Water flushes out toxins. While you sleep, your body repairs itself and there are toxins that need to escape. Water will further help this process along.
- Water amps up your metabolism. Drinking water is an important component in speeding up your metabolism and helping burn calories. Plus water fills you up and allows you to make healthier food choices, so you might not reach for those breakfast pastries quite as often.
- Water is energizing! Your brain tissue is made up of 75% water so when it’s dehydrated you’re not operating at your full capacity. Drinking water first thing in the morning will give you more energy to start your day on the right foot.
So for our Wellness Challenge No. 1, I’m going to challenge you all to drink 16 ounces of water upon waking up in the morning! The Japanese go a step further and say you should drink water and then not consume food for 45 minutes afterwards, but let’s start small. What do you say? I’m hoping that by drinking water first thing every morning I’ll feel more refreshed and invigorated to start the day. I’ll report back next week and let you know how it goes, and also I’ll announce another little challenge. I hope this will be fun and a new way to explore the idea of wellness. If you join in, let me know in the comments below!
xox
P.S. Check out my epic pajama roundup!
lounge top and bottoms
photos by Heather Kincaid
