Day 8: Drink These for Health, Beauty, and Long Life

Welcome to my 14 Day Ageless Lifestyle Makeover Challenge series!

The purpose of the challenge was to inspire you to make easy changes that would create more health, vibrancy, confidence, and timelessness in your life. It covered food, skin care, fashion style, fitness, and so much more! Each day touched on a topic that helped you be your best at any age.

Here are the 14 days worth of lessons:

The winner of the drawing has been chosen and notified. Thank you to everyone who participated. If you’re just discovering this challenge now—do it on you own and reap the benefits of a more ageless lifestyle!

Hydration is key for optimal health, longevity, and ageless beauty.

“*The human body is more than 60 percent water. Blood is 92 percent water, the brain and muscles are 75 percent water, and bones are about 22 percent water. *A human can survive for a month or more without eating food, but only a week or so without drinking water.” – WaterInfo.org

Why should you stay hydrated?

Water — and all liquids and foods that contain water — help your body to stay healthy. Water is needed for many body functions such as digestion, blood circulation, and regulating body temperature. Water is essential for cell, organ, and tissue health. Water protects your spinal cord and keeps your joints cushioned and lubricated.

At the onset, dehydration can lead to dry mouth, cramps, and dizziness. Prolonged dehydration can lead to disorientation, weakness, seizures, and even death.

Stay hydrated to maintain well-being.

Support cell, organ, and tissue health

Support spine and joint health

Support brain function and mental clarity

Support body functions like digestion and waste removal

Improve skin, hair, and nail appearance

Increase alertness and vitality

Increase longevity

The amount of water a person needs to stay sufficiently hydrated is different. The adage of 8 glasses a day doesn’t fit everyone. As a health & fitness professional I have generally advised others to drink when they are thirsty, but by the time most people realize they’re thirsty — they’re already dehydrated.

Now, I urge my clients to have water and these drinks listed below near them when they can. I tell them to sip water throughout the day, avoid the caffeinated drinks after 3pm, and to drink more when needed. For example, drink more often when it’s warm outside, you’re exercising, or feeling under the weather to aid in recovery.

Your DAY 8 challenge:

Drink more of the following…

1. Water for total body health and long life

2. Organic green tea or matcha for vitality and long life

Organic green tea or matcha (powdered) is high in antioxidants and flavinoids which help prevent cancer and age-related diseases. Several studies have found the particular antioxidants found in green tea helps to improve fat oxidation and prevent obesity, regulating fat metabolism. Green tea also helps in increasing exercise performance.

3. Organic kombucha for gut health and disease prevention

Kombucha is a type of tea made with yeast and bacteria. It helps to replenish the good bacteria — your gut flora — to help your body be more healthy and balanced. This bacteria found in the lining of your stomach helps with digestion, waste removal, boosts immune system, and may help with the prevention of certain diseases. Much of the bacteria in your stomach only live for a few days and need to be replaced. Different kombuchas have different strains of bacteria — probiotics — drink them often and replenish your system.

4. Organic green vegetable juice for health and disease prevention

Juice (with pulp) ORGANIC green vegetables such as kale, spinach, celery, and collard greens to name a few. Juicing while keeping much of the pulp helps you get your vitamins and nutrients, including dietary fiber to improve digestion, waste removal, boost immune system, prevent disease, and premature aging. With juicing you can eat more vegetables and have a varied selection.

Make sure your vegetable juice tastes good to you and that your body reacts favorably. If your stomach is uncomfortable in any way from juicing try different vegetables or mixtures to create the blend that’s right for you. Listen to your body because it’s always giving you feedback!

5. Organic grass-fed kefir for gut health and disease prevention

Kefir made from grass-fed cows is a great source of good-gut bacteria (probiotics) which improves the digestive system, gene health, and bolsters the immune system. Kefir is a great source of vitamins and electrolytes helping you to be healthy and hydrated promoting good skin and a healthy nervous system.

6. Organic grass-fed (beef) or pasture-raised (chicken) made bone broth for gut, tissue (skin and bones), and joint health

Bone broth provides you with collagen the main building block to bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and your skin. It has chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine aiding connective tissue health so you can move with ease. Bone broth has calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous helping build sturdy bones to help you stand tall. It has glycine, proline, and arginine — amino acids that have anti-inflammatory effects keeping the body well and disease free.

BONUS!

My good friend Christine Dionese, Integrative Health Specialist, Medical Journalist, and Food Writer generously put together some health tonics that boost health, beauty, and longevity. Enjoy!

Immune Fix with elderberry, ginger, cayenne, lemon, astragalus & ginseng

This combo is meant to kick the immune system into gear when potential pathogens are lurking. Perfect for cold and flu season, but can be used any time of year, make this a go-to when your office-mate or children say they don’t feel well. Do watch out during the hotter months though, the combo of ginseng, ginger and pepper can be intense! Modify by adding watermelon juice.

Rejuvenate with yellow bell pepper, carrot, maca, celery, turmeric, yellow radish, Italian parsley, apple cider vinegar, multi-strain probiotics

Sometimes after a long weekend of over-indulging in rich food and drink you need a little something to avoid feeling sluggish come Monday morning. This little shot will stimulate digestion and support your healthy probiotic balance- the foundation of immunity. Helps keep skin from appearing dull and prevents under-eye fluid retention.

Revive with a shot of beet, lime, lemon & turmeric

Astringing and tonifying to keep it “tight”/hold it together… Meant to put a little pep in your step with turmeric, the combination of citrus with this colorful root are great gentle, daily detoxifiers. Great to enhance natural skin tone!