Good (and then good for you)

It's called Oatmeal Cheesecake Banana Split.
Need I say more? Go HERE to get the recipe.
My family absolutely loved it. I used chopped pecans on top, and dh thinks it would have tasted great with blueberries as an alternative. I can see me making this some Sunday morning as our breakfast with a cup of coffee before church.

And now, let's talk about water for a moment.
Like to drink it?
Hate to drink it?
I'm not very tolerant of just plain water.
It actually kind of nauseates me sometimes. But (unless we live in a cave, which honestly, is appealing on occasion) we all know that we should be drinking lots of plain old water. So I decided to dig into the many benefits and this is a list I came across...

• Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories. Here are the further details on how to achieve fat loss by drinking water.


• Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although there are many other reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.


• Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increase skin elasticity.


• Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrate.


• Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. You’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises and water helps to fuel your muscle.


• Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.


• Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.


• Less Likely to Get Sick: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack.


• Reduce Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks of water, your heart, for instance, need to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so are you.


• Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

So, what's a water avoider like myself supposed to do?
I recently came up with a solution that has me easily drinking lots of water now, has my husband taking some to work, and has my two boys asking for "the good water" all the time.

It's simple.

Just take a 64 ounce pitcher or container and fill it to 56 ounces with the water of your choice (sure, purified is better but I'm using the stuff straight from the tap for now). Next, add 8 ounces of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice. Watch your brands. Many grocery store brands say "unsweetened" and "100% juice", but when you read the label, they're not 100% CRANBERRY juice (they're a blend of cranberry, apple, etc.) The pure cranberry is good for aiding the body in removing toxins, and our family is finding the water to be MUCH more drinkable (thus we're drinking much more of it).

Live wise in Him!

~Toni~