The Daily Take Care of Yourself Checklist Pt. 3

This is a guest post from Luciana Miles, natural health & lifestyle coach & consultant for Transforming Greatness. 

You can check out her different coaching packages and courses right here in the Transforming Greatness store.

I want to make sure that we are building habits on top of habits. There can't be any picking one up and dropping the other. This is a process. We are building a house, if you will. A healthy house with a strong foundation so that when stuff goes haywire we are still standing strong and we know what to do to keep our health and our sanity.

So as of now we are getting our 30 minutes of sunshine a day and we are doing our 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week with the heart rate elevated, and now we can move to drinking at least 2 liters of water a day.

Of Everything on the Daily Take Care of Yourself Checklist this is probably the easiest, but that does not mean that it is the least effective.

The Why.

Your brain is 73% water, your lungs are 83% water, your skin is 54% water, and your muscles and kidneys are 79% water. Water makes up most of your body weight. 1

Water:

1. Flushes out waste

2. Helps prevent constipation

3. Aids digestion

4. Helps fight off illness

5. And has many other benefits.

Take a second and notice the foundational things that water helps your body do. If your body does not flush out waste, your body becomes toxic, and you get sick.

If you are constipated, your body becomes toxic, and you get sick.

If you can't digest your food properly, you get sick.

All of these things are connected to each other, all of these bodily functions protect and strengthen your body, without which you cannot function.

Without water your body fails to perform these bodily functions and/or do them properly. And then you are in a state of disfunction which is disease and/or illness (constipation, IBS, gas, bloating, etc.).

According to Healthline 2, Water:

1. Helps create saliva

2. Regulates your body temperature

3. Protects your tissue, spinal cord, & joints

4. Helps excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation

5. It helps maximize physical performance

6. It helps prevent constipation

7. It aids in digestion

8. It helps with nutrient absorption

9. It helps you lose weight

10. It improves blood oxygen circulation

11. It helps fight off illness

12. It helps boost energy

13. It aids in cognitive function

14. It helps improve mood

15. It helps keep skin bright

16. It prevents overall dehydration

This is another one of those things where if you're not doing it, I don't care what else you are doing, you are shooting yourself in the foot and harming your health (which is why it is on this list). It is essential.

Ok, but why 2 liters?

I say this number for a few reasons and it's not because of any scientific evidence. In terms of this if you just go by scientific evidence you will be confused because different doctors, people, government organizations will tell you different things and they will all be claiming to use science.

I say 2 liters because of practicality and experience.

Practicality because it is easy to grab a 1 liter or 1.5 liter water bottle, fill it, and carry it with you wherever you go, drinking constantly.

Once you have to refill it you know you've had 1 or 1.5 liters of water and you know you need to have at least one more. There's no counting cups, ounces, or anything, and you don't need an app for it.

Experience because this is exactly what I do. I have a camping 1.5 liter water bottle that I carry with me everywhere I go (this thing has taken a beating and is still going strong). I know that if I've had 2 bottle fulls, I've had 3 liters of water and I'm good to go on water for the day.

I've also carried the gallon, the 20 oz, and pretty much everything in between. The gallon is a bit complicated to carry around all day (very helpful when fasting though) and with the 20 oz I never ended up drinking enough water and constantly had to fill up.

I also say this amount because with this amount you are most likely getting enough water for the day (you have fulfilled all the scientific recommendations) so much so that after doing this for a while you will feel and see the difference when you don't drink enough.

Ok so I know I need my water, is there a special kind of water?

No. Just plain regular water.

These are the rules:

1. Get a liter water bottle (or 1.5) and carry it wherever you go, drinking constantly.

2. Drink at least two of these a day.

This is the only water that counts, everything else does not apply to the 2 liters (water you get from drinking tea, eating vegetables, etc.), that water is extra.