About a year ago, I got into the habit of drinking a gallon of water a day. Drinking a gallon of water a day has become a major part of my health and beauty routines. It aids in differentiating between hunger and thirst and makes skin look young and radiant! The water is an important aspect, but it is what I add to my water that makes the difference!

It all started after a big family trip to Italy…

If you believe the myth about the Mediterranean Diet, that people in Italy and other Mediterranean countries eat small plates of lots of different foods at meals, which keeps them in optimal health, I know you haven’t been to Italy and eaten with actual Italians. Italians can eat you under the table faster than a Scotsman can drink you there!

The first course is always a huge dish of pasta (or two) followed by meat and veggies, then salad, then dessert and coffee and that’s just lunch!

Needless to say after coming back from a trip like that, and having my daughter Alba wean herself at the same time, it was time for mamma to get back in shape. So I bought this book called Flat Belly Diet! Gluten-Free Cookbook. Now it sounds hokey, but that book has amazingly delicious gluten free recipes that are all around 400 calories.

I did the 30 day program the book offers and it started with 3 days of plain food and drinking a lot of water mixed with ginger and lemon and anything else you wanted to put in. I didn’t intend for this water drinking habit to continue past the first few days.

Then I realized how good I felt! Plus, it gave me the perfect vehicle to add the many herbs in my diet, which also made me feel good. So I developed a water flavored with tea drinking habit!

I have always loved water. My stepdaughter recently asked me what my favorite thing to drink was. I told her water, followed by coffee and wine, which are tied at second place. Now I truly adore water. It has improved my ability to discern when I am hungry or just thirsty. I very rarely feel bloated and my skin is so healthy! I get carded regularly when buying wine and I will be 39 in a few months!

So what do I add to my water?

• Apple Cider Vinegar – if you don’t know of its amazing health properties, just google it
• Herbal Tea – the blend varies from season to season and what taste I am in the mood for and what herbs I want to be sue to get. In the winter I often use my Chaga Chai, but this summer I always find myself adding organic yerba mate tea, which seems to really help me stay focused throughout the day. I mix the yerba mate with the other herbs. Lately I have been using my Sif Blend, named after the Goddess Sif, it includes: Bee balm, chamomile, roses, Lady’s mantle, mint and nettles with a little raw honey mixed in. Sif is an important goddess in my pantheon, she is the wife of Thor and the mother of my patron, Wuldor (also known as Ullr). I have been working to emulate many of her divine qualities. She is a mother, a wife and a peacemaker. But she is no pushover, she has an inner strength  that is well matched to her husband’s. She is also known as a fertility goddess, closely associated with wheat and often corn. But through my own knowing of her, that fertility aspect comes from her deep association to bees. That is why I have added lots of bee loving herbs to her blend.
• Serious Seaweed Potion from Skye Botanicals, to add natural iodine to my diet

The big thing here is that you can add most anything to flavor your water, to make it to your taste. I love the combination of lemon and ginger, green tea and peppermint, etc. This is something for you to experiment with and see what you enjoy!

Let me know if you start drinking more water and if it helps! I love your feedback and can always learn more from my readers!