Earlier this month, I was reminded by a sports nutritionist how horrible soda is for your body and how critical water is to living a healthy life.  The nutritionist mentioned that a lack of the ability to focus is a common symptom of dehydration and adversely affects kids at school and adults during their daily routine.

A fatter wallet is another reason to make the switch from soft drinks to tap water.

How much money do you spend on soft drinks for you and your family? If you took this expense out of your life, you would save a bundle of money over time and everyone in your family would be healthier for it.
Before we look at how much money you might save, let’s look at why you and you kids might want to give up soft drinks.

Soft Drinks (regular & diet soda) are really horrible for your organs, joints, skin and weight. Water has the opposite effects. I still play competitive basketball 4-5 days per week for my cardio workouts and if I don’t hydrate by drinking an extra 64 ounces, I can barely get out of bed the next morning. I also have friends of mine that have given up drinking pop have lost 10-20 pounds over a six to twelve month period.

” pop belly”

Non-diet soda – In the latest bad news for the soda industry, Danish researchers discovered that drinking non-diet soda leads to dramatic increases in fat buildup around your liver and your skeletal muscles, both of which can contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes. The study revealed that people who drank a regular soda every day for six months saw a 132 to 142 percent increase in liver fat, a 117 to 221 percent jump in skeletal fat, and about a 30 percent increase in both triglyceride blood fats and other organ fat. Their consumption also led to an 11 percent increase in cholesterol, compared with the people who drank other beverages such as water or milk.       9 Disturbing Side Effects of Soda
Diet soda – it’s a great marketing gimmick, no calories equals no weight gain, but  studies say that diet soda tends to add weight to those that drink it.      4 Health Side Effects of Diet Soda

WATER

The Money Saving & Healthy Solution

1.    Drinking tap water rather than pop may save your family thousands of dollars every year.
a.    Call me “frugal” or “cheap” but my kids usually drink tap water when we go out to eat.  When my family of five drinks water rather than soda with our meals that saves me around $10 every time we eat out.

Funny thing is that my kids are reminded they can use their own money to buy a soft drink, but NEVER choose to do that.

b.    I usually pass on soda and other drinks for lunch (drinking water instead) and brew my own coffee.  This saves me probably $20/week.
c.    No pop in our house.  This saves $20/week from our grocery bill.

Total Savings: roughly $50 per week = $2,500/year!

I redirect that money toward our family vacations.

2.    How Much Water should you drink?…  ½ your body weight in ounces (2/3 your body weight if you workout). 200lb person – drink 100 oz./day

What are the benefits of drinking more water?

Top 10 Benefits of Drinking Water: Don’t Medicate, Hydrate!    
1. Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue – Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!

2. Promotes Weight Loss – Removes by-products of fat, reduces eating intake (by filling up your tummy if consumed prior to meals), reduces hunger (hello natural appetite suppressant!), raises your metabolism and has zero calories!

3. Flushes Out Toxins – Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).

4. Improves Skin Complexion – Moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, glowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. It’s the best anti-aging treatment around!

5. Maintains Regularity – Aids in digestion as water is essential to digest your food and prevents constipation.

6. Boosts Immune System – A water guzzler is less likely to get sick. And who wouldn’t rather feel healthy the majority of the time? Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu, cancer and other ailments like heart attacks.

7. Natural Headache Remedy – Helps relieve and prevent headaches (migraines & back pains too!) which are commonly caused by dehydration.

8. Prevents Cramps & Sprains – Proper hydration helps keep joints lubricated and muscles more elastic so joint pain is less likely.

9. Puts You in a Good Mood – When the body is functioning at its best, you will feel great and be happy!

10. Save Money! – Water is FREE! Even if you choose bottled/filtered water, it’s STILL cheaper than that high sugar and fat-filled latte!

This blog is all about helping readers financially and with the one life that each of us get.  Drinking 1/2 your weight in water daily is a guaranteed return on investment (you’ll have more money in your wallet) and gives your body its best chance to run the way God intended it you.

Please share your experiences with water or soda consumption changes and how it affected your life.