Water

We all know we should be drinking water and lots of it.  I only recently discovered how little water I was consuming and how a few small changes have made me feel a lot better!
First, some of you may or may not know I am newly pregnant.  And since I am health conscious, I have tried to be even more so during my pregnancy.  With the knowledge that what I feed myself feeds the tiny life growing inside of me, building his/her every cell, I have been *trying* to make the best choices possible.  I say *trying* because for some reason I have been craving bread.  Bread, toast, bagels, you name it.  Because of that I try to make sure I am getting lots of nutrients at other times.  Lots of leafy greens, whole grains, fresh fruit, and of course my prenatal vitamins.  That being said, I have been staying away from coffee and tea.  Not just because of the caffeine, but I actually haven't been feeling like drinking them either.  Funny thing about being pregnant, your body has ways of telling you what is not so good for your baby and a strong aversion to coffee has been with me for the past 20 weeks.
And I have been constantly feeling thirsty.  So water, water, water is pretty much all I have been drinking.(only just recently I have had some tea, but I have found I don't really feel that great after I drink it!)  So water it is.  And you know what, when I stick to water I feel so good!
I recently read/heard a tip to start the day with a big glass of water.  Before you do or have anything else first thing in the morning when you wake up drink a glass of water.  This was not something I generally ever did but have now started to do and I love the way I feel after that first glass.
They say that drinking water first thing in the morning is a good way to rid the body from any toxins that have been released through your night's sleep.  The water flushes them away.  Water in the morning helps to jump start the re-hydration process.  As you sleep through the night you are obviously not drinking water for a period of (hopefully) 6-8 hours.  In which time your body uses up its supply of water and starts to become dehydrated.  It's important to rehydrate before you become too dehydrated and feel the effects(headache, dry mouth/skin, nausea, fatigue).  Which brings me to the next benefit to drinking water in the morning, it brings you energy!  The body is made up of 60% water.  And most of the functions of the body need water to work properly (i.e. circulation, digestion, elimination).  When there is little water being put into the body these functions must work harder and this causes you to feel tired and sluggish.  All of these benefits will keep you healthy and radiant from the inside out.
So, what if you "don't like water"?
Well, there are many things to be said about this.  First thing to consider is; if you are not drinking water, what are you drinking?
Chances are any number of the following, coffee, tea, soda, juice.  Right?  Well, some of these things maybe  good at giving your body hydration, like tea and juice.  Depending on what kind you choose.  Herbal tea and other choices that do not contain caffeine, I have read, can give you an adequate supply of water.  Juice that is freshly squeezed(I'm not talking about sugary juice drinks that may or may not contain any real juice)has may benefits as well, and since fruits and vegetables that you can juice yourself ,or that they do at Whole Foods ;), contain mostly water and are therefore hydrating, but also contain natural sugars so you won't want to be drinking 8-10 glasses of juice a day, even if it is freshly squeezed from organic fruits and veggies.
Coffee is very DE-hydrating.  I'm not saying you shouldn't drink it.  Do what you want.  BUT arm yourself with the knowledge that coffee does dry you out, can intensify stress, increases acidity in the body (you want your body to be alkaline, not acidic), it causes a loss in nutrients, and may reduce fertility.   So drinking coffee all day doesn't sound so good anymore....and I was definitely one to do so a few years back.  I worked in a place where there was free coffee, and it was all I had to drink all day long.  I used to own a coffee maker and I no longer do because when I worked afternoons and my partner and then-roommate worked mornings we would make a whole pot of coffee.  They would leave for the day having had one cup (maybe two) each leaving me with the rest of the pot.  Which I drank.  Always.  Yikes.  So I am just suggesting drinking a big glass of water BEFORE a cup of coffee and not the whole pot.  And who knows?  You may feel so energized from your glass of water in the mornings that you no longer wish to have coffee. Maybe...
And lastly soda.  I choose not to drink soda.  It is sugary, contains caffeine(see above), it's pretty much empty calories.  Not to mention it can rot your teeth and make your bones weak.  So I avoid it.  And have done so successfully for a few years now.
But it tastes good, you may say.
It does especially when you're eating with it junk food, like salty chips, fried food or pizza.  But, and I do promise,  that when you start to make healthy food choices and cleanse your palate from the heavy, salty, sugary foods, you'll find water is the best companion to your fresh, healthy food.  If you don't believe it can be done, see my post here.

So if all this info doesn't make you thirsty for water, here are a few tips to make it more palatable.

1.  Try adding fresh squeezed lemon, cucumber slices, or mint to the water for a nice, refreshing flavor.

2.  Try sparkling water.  Especially if your go-to drink of choice is soda.  It hydrates just as well as still water, so drink up.  This is a suitable substitute during meals and while "at rest" like during work hours, or watching a movie, but if/when you are exercising choose still water.

3.  Find a cool water bottle.  I know it may sound silly but this may help!   I have this great stainless steel water bottle that I think is super cute, it holds a lot of water and I drink probably 6-8 of these daily.  It is now the only thing I drink water from even when I am at home.  Maybe for you there's a favorite glass you just like drinking from, use that.  Or maybe you like to drink from a straw, or water with ice.  Find what you like and stick with it.  And you definitely don't have to spend the $20 or whatever crazy price they sell the "name brand" stainless steel water bottles for either.  This one I got  for just 5 BUCKS!

How much water do you drink everyday?  What is your preferred method?  Try starting the day with water and let me know how  it goes!

The nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating.

Breathing.  We do it all day, everyday, involuntarily and most of the time we have no awareness that it's happening.  You can go for about a week with out food, a few days with out water, but without your breath?  To quote Ana Forrest, "you're dead meat in TEN MINUTES".
When we breathe properly, in and out of the nose, taking in as much air as possible, some amazing things happen!  First of all, breathing through the nose filters and cleans the air of most of the impurities before it enters our bodies.  (Nose hairs have a purpose!)
Try this: Take a few breaths in and out through your mouth.  Feel how the air moving over your tongue feels a bit cold?  When we breath through the nose the air is in the body for just a bit longer and therefore the air is warm.  When we are breathing in warm air we increase our metabolism and burn free radicals.  Just from breathing!  Cool, right?
And as for breathing deeply, well, most of you probably know that as adult humans we rarely use our lungs to their full capacity.  When we don't fully inhale and exhale completely air can settle into the bottom of our lungs and become stale.  Kinda gross?  So by taking in air fully and expelling it completely we are insuring the health of our lungs and our entire body.  Our cells need oxygen as a source of energy to perform the functions for which they are designed.  The more oxygen we take in, the more for our cells to use for energy!
Our breath is our life force.  And even though we don't have to be aware that we are breathing to stay alive, when we are aware that we are breathing we can fully LIVE.  Bringing awareness to the breath brings you immediately into the present moment.  Your breath is not caught up in what is was just doing, what it's about to do.  It goes with the flow.  In and out.  It's going to happen whether you observe it or not, but when you observe your breath, your mind starts to clear.  The chatter inside your head gets quiet if only for a moment, one breath.  BUT the more you observe the longer the stillness in the mind can stay with you.  The mind is wild, but when you can control the breath you can begin to control the fluctuations of the mind.
Pranayama is a branch of yoga focused on breathing techniques to create different sensations in the body.  Prana is translated to "life force" and yama is "to control".
If you are feeling sluggish and want to increase energy in your system close off your left nostril and breathe in through the right nostril only.  Then block the right nostril and breathe out of the left side.  Close your eyes and continue breathing like this for a few minutes and see how you feel!
If you want to wind down, if you're having trouble sleeping or just want to relax, try the opposite.  Block the right nostril and breathe in through the left then to exhale block the left and let the air out through the right.
After trying either of these two exercises, be sure to take a few normal breaths through the nose, to take the time to see how your body feels after trying and to bring you back to balance.

There are many ways to control the breath to feel different things, this is just a simple one.  I hope you try it, let me know how it goes!  And always when you breathe, give thanks and don't take your breath for granted.

Energize!

We've all felt that mid-day lull. When you feel like you want to take a nap.  But because you're working or otherwise unable to do that you reach for a coffee, or red bull, or candy, or a soda or....you get the picture.  And maybe that fix helps you feel that little extra burst to get you through the next few hours.  Then you get home and all you want to do is crash.  Just the thought of making dinner or doing anything, really, makes you want to sink into the couch a little bit deeper.
Let's rewind.
You feel the sleepiness of the 3:00 hour and instead of running to the nearest Starbucks you try a heart opener.  A mini back bend with a side of a few deep breaths.  You feel your chest expand, your mood lifts, and you are filled with liveliness!  This helps remind you to stay aware of your breathing, bring mindfulness into the rest of your day.  With a calm mind and energized body you arrive home, happily prepare a delicious meal for yourself and your family, joyfully clean up after eating and relax the rest of the night with a good book.
Here's how:
Start by dropping your chin to your chest to release the back of your neck and tops of your shoulders.  Take a few breaths here moving your chin from side to side and exploring where there is tension, and consciously let it go.  Carefully lift your gaze and do a few shoulder rolls.  Now you're ready.

And you have a few options.  If you can, stand up, plant your feet firm into the floor, about hip distance apart.  Interlace your fingers at the small of your back.  Squeeze your elbows together as you start to straighten your arms moving your shoulder blades in toward the front of your body.  If that feels okay for you start to lift your arms towards parallel to the floor.  Keep your throat open yet the back of your neck long.  It is easy to bend deeply into the low back here, so keep you abdomen engaged and your tailbone tucking in.  Breathe deeply into the center of your chest accepting feelings of love and joy.  Take this only to the degree that you can hold it comfortably and breathe easy.   Hold for 3-5 breaths and repeat as often as you like!

If your chest and shoulders are tight or it's hard to interlace your hands behind you, try this variation.  Sit up tall in a chair or on the floor.  Place your hands behind you and lift your chest up.  Again, keep your throat open and the back of your neck long.  Feel the expansion of your chest as you inhale and try to keep your chest full and wide as you exhale.  Imagine your heart flying high out of your chest.  Hold steadily and ease-fully for 3-5 breaths and repeat as many times as you want.

It might feel good for you to counter this back bend with a forward bend, like Child's Pose, Standing Forward Fold, or if your sitting just folding forward where you are, just for a moment or two and slowly come back up and feel the bliss move through you!
Also, you don't need to save these heart openers for the midday.  They are a great way to get you energized when you wake up as well!  Let me know how you feel after trying this one!

Namaste.