photo above courtesy of pinterest

First I want to say, that of course I’m no expert on this subject. Months or even a year ago, I would have laughed in your face if you told me to drink a gallon of water a day. Butttt….this year I’m on a whole new bandwagon and I’m loving it. I read an article one time about Gabrielle Union and how she drinks a gallon of water a day, I began to think; how in the world does she do that on her very hectic, yet busy schedule – but if she’s doing it the way I’ve been doing it, then I can see how it would be possible, not just for her but for anyone – you just have to be a little creative with it.

First, not that you probably don’t already know or have heard…let me give you just a little background on water and it’s benefits of drinking it, especially in the morning:

1. Water helps to balance your lymph system; these much needed glands help us to balance our body fluids and help to fight off infection.
2. Have Skin Problems? While a dermatologist can help us figure out some things going on with problematic skin, drinking a gallon of water a day can help purge toxins from the blood, which keeps our skin glowing and clear.
3. Need to drop some extra pounds? Water can Help! Did you know that drinking at least 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning can boost your metabolism by 24%? & it also helps move your bowels as well.
4. Drinking water consistently helps to increase the production of new blood and muscle cells.
5. Drinking water on an empty stomach helps to purify the colon, making it easier to absorb nutrients which again, helps you to go to the bathroom….regularly….if you know what I mean.

I have to say, drinking water first thing in the morning was NOT one of my strong suits or something that I had on my to do list, but after reading the benefits of what just a 16.9oz bottle of water does to your body, I thought I’d give it a try and let me tell you, its been a life changer for me; I actually try to drink 24oz of water in the morning before I put anything into my body. I noticed my digestive system is on track to the point in where I can actually track when I’ve been and when I haven’t……I feel as though my energy has increased tremendously and for the first time in my life, I honestly feel as though my body is doing what it’s supposed to do, especially since I’m giving it what it needs to do it’s job.

As mentioned above, when I heard about Gabrielle Union drinking a gallon of water a day, I thought that would be my next goal. However; not only her but there are countless other people whom are also drinking a gallon of water a day and reaping great benefits in doing so. Now let me tell you, there are people that say you’re supposed to drink half your body weight in water a day, while I’ve heard other people state that you’re supposed to drink an ounce of water for every pound that you weigh – personally I think that’s too much water and could lead to water poisoning, because there is a such thing as drinking too much water, let’s just say I prefer to do half my body weight in water and call it a day.

Now I know you must be thinking, how in the world do you drink a gallon of water a day? Well, this is my secret – see below.

 

The blender bottle on the left is how I break down the gallon of water a day. It’s 20oz, about 25oz when you fill it to the top. This is my break down of the day:

• Drink 20 ounces 10min after breakfast
• Drink 20 ounces 2 hours later, 10min after morning snack
• Drink 20 ounces 10min after lunch
• Drink 20 ounces 2 hours after lunch, 10 min after evening snack
• Drink 20 ounces 10min after dinner
• Drink the rest of the 28 ounces prior to bed.

And yes, I go to the bathroom all day long – which is the small downfall to all of this, however; if I know I have a meeting or will be extremely busy during the day and not able to go to the bathroom every second, it seems – then I slow down on the water drinking because let’s face it, I can’t always do it everyday as I want – but I do get in enough water maybe not the whole 128 ounces of the gallon but I try to get close, sometimes I can only do 80 ounces.

Another thing I do, because the taste of water can get boring on most days – I’ll cut up some lemon or add a sugar free packet to it, especially if I feel as if I’m having a hard time getting through the gallon. My favorite sugar free packets are below:

Yes, it’s only 5 calories for half a pack (read the labels) but I use the whole packet and this helps me get through those challenging days of chugging the gallon and it helps. To be honest, I don’t do it everyday but only use the packets as a motivator – I don’t want to depend on the packs to get me through each gallon of water as the goal is to just drink the plain water, which to me is more beneficial.

If you decide to do the gallon a day, it’s totally up to you in how creative you want to be in getting your body and mind tricked into drinking it everyday. You can choose to write notes or short affirmations to yourself on the jug – just as the picture in the header or come up with your own way of getting it in and down your body a day; just as I did. Another tip is: You can choose to drink 8oz of water every hour or drink two 16.9oz bottles with every main meal and one bottle with every snack (which should be one or two a day).

Whatever you do, start slow and work your way up as it won’t happen overnight. Hey, the creative juices are in your hand – make it work for you, just get your daily recommended amount of water in. If you have any questions about the amount of water you’re supposed to drink, I would talk with a “certified” nutritionist or doctor because everyone’s needs and limitations are different.

Written by – Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

 

Don’t forget!! to come back this Thursday and read the Inspirational story of Kristi Data! Kristi will be sharing her ups of being active in organized sports to her downfall of having an eating disorder in college, so how did she bounce back? – you don’t want to miss her inspirational story.