Guest Post by Amanda Grimes ~As a Beachbody coach, Amanda knows the importance of water to health. This knowledge is enhanced by also having grown up here at Secondwind, with many stints on staff. She just happens to be the daughter of our CEO, Christine Fletcher. We’re thrilled to have her contribute her knowledge and experience….

Today I’m here to offer some tips for staying hydrated!

Water plays a vital role in flushing toxins out of our systems. Water also helps our bodies absorb nutrients and protects and cushions our vital organs, and is great for keeping our skin looking and feeling young and healthy.

Water also helps make us feel full, which is important particularly for those of us that are trying to lose weight and avoid overeating!

The general rule of thumb is that every day you should drink half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 150 pounds – that would be 150 divided by 2, or 75 ounces of water, every day.

Here are some suggestions on how to stay hydrated:

• Fancy up your water. Drink water that is infused with your favorite flavors by adding fresh lemon, lime, mint, cucumbers, etc.

• Make Drinking Water a Part of Your Daily Routine. Every morning drink 2 glasses of water when you first wake up. And before you go to bed. You should also get in the habit of drinking a glass of water before every meal. Much like the gas tank in your car, your stomach has sensors that alert you when it’s full. But unlike your car, you can trick those sensors with anything, including water. Use that to your advantage to promote weight loss.

• Use Rubber Bands. Determine how many times you need to refill your water bottle each day to meet daily water goal. In the morning, place that number of rubber bands around your bottle. Every time you refill it, take off a band and place it around your wrist.

• Mark Your Water Bottle with Specific Times. That way you can meet certain hydration milestones throughout the day. This is one of my favorites because it keeps me in check throughout the day and if I ever fall behind, I can easily see where I am supposed to be to catch up for that particular time of day.

• Download an App. Head to your smartphone’s app store and pick one out that you understand (and that you’ll actually be inclined to use) and get tracking! Or, alternatively, you can set alerts on your phone or calendar to drink every hour.

I hope you find these tips helpful! Stay hydrated!