It can be really hard to start to a new habit and keep it going. One thing is you have to make it easy to do. For me a glass of water from the tap isn't appealing. I am good if I have been at the gym I always drink after a workout as I know the workout I have just had will do me so much more good if I have a big drink. So I do. Other times I need help.
So yesterday as I made up my afternoon water I thought others probably struggle with this too. Added bonus... as well as health and beauty this comes under budget. We do not buy soft drinks. I haven't been drinking soft drinks for ten years or more. Once I thought zero calorie ones were ok and now I think they are worse than the sugar ones. Sometimes these things are hard to give up!
Ok so as a habit I always freeze into ice cubes things like the juice from a can of pineapple or tinned fruit, any lemons that are fading fast I slice and freeze in snap lock bags, same for cucumber. We had orange juice Christmas morning and I froze all the left overs. And I always keep plain ice cubes in abundance on hand.
I start with a half full jug of cold water and add some mint leaves (which grow at the back door) and a heap of plain ice and a few flavoured cubes. My favourite is unsweetened cranberry juice. I get this especially as one bottle will last ages when most of it is frozen this way. The benefits o this stuff! It is yummy, pink and it has a diuretic effect on me which is great as I seem to retain water in the hot weather.
Over all I aim that 80 or 90 percent of the jug is water and the rest is lemon, a juice or whatever. This makes it tasty and lovely and I will drink the lot.
Mostly I also add white tea. I do this by steeping one or two white or green tea bags in a cup with boiling water and letting it cool. I add that when mixing this up. It adds a whole lot of health benefits.
So there is my mix and I do it everyday through the summer months at least!
Making sure a jug of water and ice is on the table encourages everyone to drink. If the girls were little now I would call it fairy water. For myself I call it vitamin water :)
During the day I keep it on the bench so I see it as I go past and then a jug is gone pretty quickly.
Andy loves it with a couple of tea bags or lemon. He drinks a huge amount of water per day which is wonderful.
As I do this I will fill at least one water bottle to be ready to go with me in the car or to the gym. Another saving I don't buy a drink a the gym. I will always drink it all before I have made it home which is great. I just grab it as I go out the door.
This morning Andy left with half a dozen bottles of water. Some frozen and others with ice. A damped hand towel frozen in a snap lock bag and frozen blocks to keep his lunch cold. The girls always had frozen drinks and frozen flannels. All this was a night before ritual and still is.
Today when I made my morning coffee I steeped two white tea bags ready for todays jug. I know it is good for me and this little habit does the trick. Whatever it is we need to be doing finding a few tricks to make it happen seems to be the thing to make it a reality! Oh ... I just thought to say the pretty jug and glass ins't for the photos sake, that is what I use. This lovely jug was an op shop find for $2 and I collect the glasses from op shops too. I am just a sucker for things that look nice and it makes it nicer for me.
Being 42 today I am mostly staying in today except for the watering. I have plenty of crafts and letter writing to do in between jobs. Stay cool everyone!
My eldest DD loves vitamin water and iced tea. I must pass on your ideas to her Annabel, as she spends a fortune on "flavoured water." I drink a lot of water and must admit I like it just plain filtered and nicely chilled. I use a stainless steel water bottle when I am out doing errands or groceries. I keep that in a coolbag with ice bricks as well on days like today (keep it super chilled) when it is nudging 44 degrees! I love the jug and your beautiful glass as well. You really are hydrating in style :)
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Kaye I swear by the stainless steel bottles they are the best I think. Tell your DD to check the ingredients on the waters and teas as many have a ton of iffy ingredients which makes me mad when they are selling something "healthy" but it is also a potential big money saving making your own. I am on to my second jug today!
DeleteAnnabel, such a great tip with the cranberry juice. I love the colour it makes the water, and isn't it true, that we all like things that look nice.
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