When I was trying to fall pregnant I did everything humanly possible to increase my chances. If you’ve read my previous blog posts you would know all about the ins and outs of that saga.
One of the most simple things that i did but also one of probably the most difficult was to increase my water intake by shit loads! I used to drink very little “actual water”. So I’m not speaking of tea or juice or anything like that. I am speak of plain old water. I stopped drinking anything at all during the day besides water. In the morning I would and still do have a cup of tea and sometimes a pear juice (keeps me regular… another subject I will touch on later down the track), but besides that I will drink only water now. So I went from drinking probably about 3 glasses of water a day tops, to at least 2 litres every day now. And it really is one of the best things I have done!
In my younger years, I used to drink MASSIVE amounts of Coca Cola. I think I could probably go through a 2 litre a bottle every day, without a second thought. This was much to my parents dismay as they had raised me to never be allowed to drink any soft drink or eat any sugary chocolates or lollies whatsoever (and I mean to the extent I got carob in my lolly bags at parties!), but when you are old enough to do what you want, the parents rules go out the window. So besides rotting all the enamel off all of my teeth so now they are weak and have to be constantly fixed, I also was getting headaches and was probably just generally unwell as a result of being on the verge of dehydrated constantly! So now that I drink at least 2 litres per day I have noticed massive health changes. One being I have way less headaches. I suffered from them a lot as a child and a young adult. But now I seem to get them much less.
It’s really hard to cut out the sugary soft drinks if you love them like I did and still do… I’d die for a coke most days. I still allow myself a small glass of lemonade every now and then because you have to live a little. If you cut everything you love out then you will be a misery guts. Well I will thats for sure! If you want to try to cut out certain things from you diet, like I did with the soft drinks, then I would suggest setting times that you aren’t allowed them. Put some restrictions in place for yourself. Its a way easier thing to do that to just go cold turkey with your favourite things. So say you love soft drink like me. Start with a “no soft drinks from the time you wake up until 12 midday”. Then once you are cool with that and you aren’t crawling up the walls… try for a little longer, like “none until 5pm”. Then once you can do that, try go a whole day. Then if you can go a whole day try and go two day… and so on. Soon you will be able to just have one on the weekend as a treat. And those treat days are a NECESSITY! We need them, they are good for the soul! This technique can be used for anything really. I use it for my little vices when I get too out of control. I will have to do it soon for my Red Tulip obsession. I am going to eat the supermarket out of Mr & Mrs Bunnys soon. But hey, all that water I am drinking should be washing it right out of me!
The water thing really is a no brainer though. Its so easy to drink more of it. I used to hate it but its really not that bad. I actually like it now! Your body really does crave more of what you give it. So if you eat crap then you crave more crap. If you eat well, you crave more of the good foods etc. Its pretty simple.
I honestly don’t mind tap water. I know its supposed to be full of a bunch of bad shit but its not that bad to me. I’m being completely honest! I know fresh, clean natural spring water is way better. That goes without saying, but come on lets be real, who is going to pay the exorbitant cost of that stuff for the 2-3 litres you are supposed to drink every day! Fuck, I could buy a bottle of vodka for that money! When I do buy top shelf water I really love Evian. It’s apparently from the Evian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva in France. So it comes from the ancient glacial filter deep in the heart of the French Alps. I just like the way it tastes. It is more pure than other waters I’ve tried. I do also love Antipodes water, which is from a little closer to home, Whakatane, Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. that stuff is really good and the glass bottle it comes in rocks. Its reusable and because its glass its one that you can keep in the car (never drink water out of plastic bottles kept in the car because once the plastic is warmed up in the heat of your car, the chemicals come out of the plastic and leak into the water! Bad, toxic and yuk!). So glass bottle are the winner!!!! Try the Antipodes if you haven’t. Its great! As i say though, I am not buying 6 bottles of water to drink every single day. Your best bet if you want to filter your water is to buy a water jug with a filter, like the Brita charcoal filter jug that I have. Its then easy to know how much you’ve drunk all day too!
So seriously, try and increase your water intake. It makes a world of difference health wise and its good not only for general health but you will notice physical changes. You hair, nails and skin will also benefit greatly! Drink the water!