Oh, hey! I’m so glad you joined me. Day one of your Spring Challenge is here and I’m so excited to get started. Let’s start today off with a challenge that starts first thing in the morning. I truly believe that starting your day with a healthy habit will shape the rest of your day, so let’s go!

DAY 1 CHALLENGE — hydrate your life.

One of my longest-standing healthy habits is my water consumption. I vividly remember the day back in my high school gym class when my teacher, Mrs. Melhart asked us to log our fluid intake for a week. At that time in my life I realized I was drinking almost no water. Gasp! And I was an athlete! I drank water during practice and games, but outside of that I was drinking things like juice, diet pop and chocolate milk.

So slowly but surely I started to increase my daily water intake. Now drinking water has become a habit that I don’t even have to think about. I have my favorite water bottle — just a simple 24-ounce glass mason jar, and I have it around me all the time. The first thing I do, even before drinking coffee, is drink at least 16 ounces of water [and sometimes the whole 24]. Water wakes you up, engerzies you and cleanses the body first thing in the morning. So drink up. It’s too good for you not to.

Part 1 of your challenge for today is to drink 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning. Add a squeeze of lemon for a little flavor and added detoxifying effect if you’d like.

Part 2 of your challenge is to drink more water throughout the day. 8 glasses minimum, but more is great too.

Find yourself a water bottle that you love [preferably 24-ounces or larger and plastic-free] and take it around with you. Take it to work, in the car, to the gym, etc. It’s so much easier to be aware of your water intake when you’re drinking out of the same water bottle throughout the day. I can pretty much tell you exactly how many ounces of water I drink daily because I know how many water bottles full I consume each day. There are even smart phone apps that help track your water intake if you need a little extra support.

If you’re chronically under-hydrated or just don’t drink quite enough water daily, simply drinking more water will work wonders on your health! Water is energizing, detoxifying, great for skin, bloat and overall cellular health. Plus, starting your day with a healthy habit is the first step in improving your health for the rest of your life.

Part 3 is to “health-ify” the beverages you’re already drinking. What do I mean? I mean let’s take a look at how we can put a more whole food spin on a maybe not-so-healthy daily/weekly beverage. Some examples:

opt for homemade coffee with real, organic cream instead of a daily Starbucks run. Even the Starbucks coconut milk that you think is oh-so healthy contains added stabilizers, gums and added sugar. Or try making the easiest homemade vanilla cashew milk made from only real ingredients!

try “bulletproof” coffee instead of coffee with added sugar or fake creamer.

[bulletproof coffee: 12-16 ounces black coffee + tsp unrefined coconut oil. Add to blender and blend for 30 seconds for a creamy, treat-like morning coffee. *for a little something extra add 1 scoop of collagen peptides before blending.] Collagen peptides are great for gut health, skin, hair and nails, and provide 9 grams of quality, easily-digested protein.

opt for a glass of wine instead of a sugary cocktail [or order a cocktail sans sugar such as a vodka soda with lime, or my fave — an Aperol spritz – made from just Aperol, Prosecco and soda water].

drink water or sparkling water infused with fresh fruit and herbs instead of juice or soda.

simply swap your less healthy beverages with good ‘ole water.

If you need some tips for “health-ifying” one of your favorite beverages, simply send me an email to angela@nutritiouslyrooted.com and I’ll help you out!

Alright, let’s get day one underway! Check your inbox tomorrow for challenge #2.