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Easy remedy for 10 unrelated health issues with the 30 day water challenge

Easy remedy for 10 unrelated health issues with the 30 day water challenge

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Water does the body good. We all heard the fact that if you drink 2 glasses of water before a meal, it will help you lose weight. This is correct, because you will eat less calories when you fill your belly with water before starting to eat. But are there health issues that can be easily solved by drinking more water? Yes, there are!

10 unrelated health issues and one easy remedy

Easy remedy for 10 unrelated health issues with the 30 day water challengeFeeling tired? Drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. If you start to feel energized then it means that you were dehydrated. Water is a source of energy for your body. Your brain is made up of about 75% water. So when your brain cannot pull the needed water from the circulation, it widens the blood vessels leading to it. Widening the blood vessels reduces your blood pressure. Low blood pressure can make you feel tired or dizzy. So only by drinking more water, you can feel more energized!

Dark yellow (brown or maroon) pee? Drink, drink, drink! You are dehydrated and you need to drink more water. Dark pee is concentrated urine. It is most commonly due to dehydration. If drinking more water doesn’t change the color of your pee to see-through yellow, then you need to visit your doctor. Dark yellow pee may also serve as a warning sign that excess, unusual, or potentially dangerous waste compounds are circulating in your body. Dark brown urine may indicate liver disease and bloody pee is an indication of other problems, including direct injury to the kidneys. Or that you drank too much beetroot juice and forgot about it. However, any change in the color of your pee not due to eating certain foods or taking certain medications should be reported to your doctor. If you see blood in your pee, report it to your doctor immediately.

Feeling feverish? Drink up! Feeling lightheaded, dizzy or tired are all signs of dehydration. People reported that drinking larger amounts of water when feeling feverish helped them clear it up! So next time you feel like you are coming up with a fever or feeling like you will get sick, try drinking more water!

Having a headache? Keep yourself hydrated! One study found that 1 in 10 subjects experienced water-deprivation headache, aching in the majority and accentuated by head movement, bending down, or walking. Most of the subjects felt relieved within 30 minutes by drinking 6,7 oz to 50 oz (200 ml to 1500 ml) water, the others felt relieved within 1 to 3 hours by drinking 17 oz to 33 oz (500 to 1000 ml) of water. And 1 subject required sleep in addition to fluid intake.The study speculates that water deprivation may play a role in migraine, particularly in prolonging migraine attacks.

Feeling constipated? Drink more water! You can relieve constipation by drinking more water! Constipation happens when the poop still in your colon gets dehydrated. Your body draws water gets from the large intestine to keep your body hydrated. So not drinking enough water may cause constipation. When your body doesn’t get enough water, your body withdraws water from everywhere, even from your poop. So your poop will become dry and hard. It will be difficult for this dry and hard poop to move through the colon. You can easily avoid constipation if you keep yourself hydrated.

Easy remedy for 10 unrelated health issues with the 30 day water challenge
I can”t fall asleep. I might as well check my Facebook. Oh look, cat pictures!

Boost your immunity! Help your immune system to function at an optimum level by drinking more water! Keeping yourself well hydrated flushes out toxins from your body and helps the cells in your body get oxygen to do their thing. Your body’s immune system uses the lymphatic system to transfer the white blood cells to and from your lymph nodes. This way the protectors of your body, the white blood cells can go exactly where they need to be to protect your body from an evil disease when it attacks your body.

Flushed face and red nose? You are dehydrated! Quick, drink some water! Drinking more water helps with blood circulation in your body. Water regulates blood pressure, it helps blood circulation in the body. Also it gets rid of the redness on your face.

Joint pain? Stiffness? You need to lubricate your joints! How can you lubricate your joints? Yes, you guessed it! By drinking more water! Water can relieve joint pain easily. Healthy joints contain a gel-like liquid that reduces friction in the joints. But this works like a sponge, so for it to work like a cushion, it needs to be filled with water. If you use nutrients to support joint health, you still need to hydrate your joints by drinking more water for them to do their magic trick.

Short attention span? Even mild dehydration, which can be so slight that you don’t notice or feel thirsty, may lead to inattention. If your brain is unhydrated, it has less energy to process and storage new information into your memory. Improve your attention span instantly by grabbing a glass of water!

Can’t fall asleep? Drink more water! Your brain needs water to produce melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles, it is linked with how your body gets ready for sleep. Basically it helps you fall asleep. So drinking more water can help your with your insomnia as well!

If you want these and more wonderful results, try the 30 day water challenge!

You start the 30 day water challenge by slowly increasing your water intake day by day, until you reach the point where you drink 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water per day. You continue drinking 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water until the 30 days are over.

See my results after the 30 day water challenge here>>>

Take up the 30 Day Water Challenge and give your body the hydration it needs!

What is the 30 Day Water Challenge?

What is the 30 Day Water Challenge?

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30 Day Water Challenge: drink 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water each day

What is the 30 Day Water Challenge?You start the 30 day water challenge by slowly increasing your water intake day by day, until you reach the point where you drink 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water per day. You continue drinking 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water until the 30 days are over.

No sweetened beverages nor alcohol are allowed for this period. You can have one glass of alcoholic beverage per week if you must. Just don’t count the alcohol into your daily water consumption.

Do NOT drink your entire day’s worth of water all at once

Increase your water intake gradually. Now that you start to drink more water, first you must train your bladder to adjust to your new goal of drinking 1 gallon/3.8 liters of water per day. It might take your body time to adjust, but in 1-2 weeks your bladder will become adjusted to the increased water intake.

What is the 30 Day Water Challenge?Do NOT drink your entire day’s worth of water in one take. Water poisoning is a real thing! If you drink more than 0.21 gallons/0.8 liter of water in an hour, you are risking water poisoning. Water poisoning happens when you flush out electrolytes that your body needs. Slowly increase your water intake and distribute your set water goal drinking throughout the day. If you have healthy kidneys, they filter 0.21 – 0.26 gallons/0.8-1 liter of water per hour, so drink less than that to avoid water poisoning.

What are the results of the 30 day water challenge?

Depending on your current lifestyle, activity level, health, age and gender you will see different results during the 30 day water challenge.

What is the 30 Day Water Challenge?
Here are the results of her 30 day water challenge! She is 65 years old, this is how she looks now!

Changing your current diet or exercise routine is not required. Just consume 1 gallon / 3.8 liters of water per day for 30 days.

The results of the 30 day water challenge that you might experience are:

  • visible reduced wrinkles around the eyes
  • improvement in overall skin tone
  • dry skin becomes more elastic
  • pimple and acne free face
  • normal bowel movement results in perfect poop every morning
  • minor weight loss: lose 9 lbs / 4 kg in 30 days
  • high energy level and freshness
  • no headaches and/or migraine
  • dark circles under eyes disappeared or lightened
  • no more dry lips
  • dry and cracked heels softened
  • improved flexibility (water lubricates the joints)
  • no bad breath
  • cellulite on thighs and buttocks reduced
  • relief from dry eyes
  • improved concentration
  • and many more!

Excited to start your 30 day water challenge?

Tips for starting the 30 day water challenge

Here are some helpful tips to help you start the 30 day water challenge:

  • Helpful Tip #1: Get yourself a water bottle so you can carry it with you wherever you go during the 30 day water challenge!
  • Helpful Tip #2: Make a water drinking plan for yourself for the 30 day water challenge! See here how to make a water drinking plan>>> Water drinking plan
  • Helpful Tip #3: Use a 1 gallon plastic bottle to have a visual of how much water you need to drink that day during the 30 day water challenge! You can even make markings on the side of the bottle to see if you’ve drank the amount of water by the time you supposed to!
  • Helpful Tip #4: Start using a straw! You tend to drink more water when you use a straw!
  • Helpful Tip #5: Don’t like how water tastes? Infuse your water with fruit flavors! Add lemon, lime, orange, strawberries, grapes or any of your favorite fruit to your water to change how it tastes! If doing the 30 day water challenge during the winter, drink hot water with mint leaves or lemon!
  • Helpful Tip #6: Keep a water log of how much water you are drinking per day and log your water intake during the 30 day water challenge. You can even use an app for your phone to help you log your water intake during the 30 day water challenge!
  • Helpful Tip #7: Set an alarm to remind you when to drink more water throughout the day. Or try using one of the apps for your devices to keep you updated.
  • Helpful Tip #8: Have a glass of water before and after your meals! This is the easiest way to stay hydrated and to reach your daily goal of 1 gallon / 3.8 liters per day during the 30 day water challenge!
  • Helpful Tip #9: Have one last of a glass of water before bed!

Take up the 30 Day Water Challenge and give your body the hydration it needs!

If you’ve read this far, it means that you are ready to start your 30 day water challenge! If you have any reservations about drinking 1 gallon/3.8 liter water a day for 30 days, consult your doctor.

Need proof of the benefits of drinking more water? See my results of the 30 day water challenge>>>

Who should start the 30 day water challenge

Who should start the 30 day water challenge

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Who should start the 30 day water challengeThroughout the 30 day water challenge you drink 1 galon/3.7 liters of water each day for 30 days. The rules of the 30 day water challenge are simple. Get to know the rules of the 30 day water challenge here>>>

Why drink water

Water does the body good. We all heard the fact that if you drink 2 glasses of water before a meal, it will help you lose weight. This is correct, because you will eat less calories when you fill your belly with water before starting to eat.

The benefits of drinking water are numerous – wrinkles gone, no pimples, perfect poop every morning, minor weight loss, more energy, no headaches and many more. See my results after the 30 day water challenge here>>>

Sounds like a real dream!

When to do the water challenge

Who should start the 30 day water challengeYou can start the 30 day water challenge whenever you feel like. You just pick a date and start drinking 1 gallon / 3.7 liters of water per day and continue it for 30 days.

Starting the 30 day water challenge during summer when it’s hot outside is more convenient – your body needs more water to stay hydrated anyways. However, you can start the 30 day water challenge whenever you feel like it. There are no limitations to it.

Who should start the 30 day water challenge

Who should start the 30 day water challenge
Gina, no! Beverages are not allowed during the 30 day water challenge!

The majority of people are dehydrated. So starting a water challenge is a good idea for almost everyone. It will give you an insight into how much water you are drinking usually and you will be able to see various awesome results.

Start the water challenge if:

  • You want to lose weight
  • You believe you should drink more water
  • Your skin is dry and not elastic
  • Your urine is dark yellow instead of lemon yellow or see through
  • You have headaches
  • You deal with constipation
  • You have dark circles around your eyes
  • Your lips are dry
  • Your heels are dry, cracked
  • You are curious if you will benefit from drinking more water

Always consult your doctor before starting any kind of diet or fitness program! Consulting your doctor before starting the 30 day water challenge is a good idea! See the incomplete list of the risks of the 30 day water challenge here>>>

30 day water challenge rules

How to start a 30 day water challenge: the rules

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3 rules of the 30 day water challenge

Ready to start Your 30 day water challenge? Not sure how to get started? First thing first: let’s see what are the rules of the 30 day water challenge!

30 day water challenge rules

Rules of the 30 day water challenge seem simple: You should drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water a day for 30 days, no sweetened beverages nor alcohol are allowed for this period.

How to start the 30 day water challenge?

If you are serious about starting the 30 day water challenge, there certainly are more questions that will arise. Now let’s break down these simple steps of the 30 day water challenge one by one, and answer the big question:

1. Create a water drinking plan

If you are not much of a water drinker, then making yourself to drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water a day for 30 days will be tricky at the start. You will need to monitor your water intake, but eventually you will get used to drinking that amount of water. I suggest starting the 30 day water challenge by creating a water drinking plan for yourself to drink that 1 gallon/3.7 liter water a day. You can even have a weekday and weekend water drinking plan if your daily routine differs during the week. The trick is to create a water drinking plan for yourself that fits your lifestyle. The point of a water drinking plan is to plan the water drinking in advance – so you will be more likely to stick to it and meet your daily goal of water intake.

Creating a water drinking plan helps you develop a habit of regularly drinking water throughout the day. It is important if you are not used to drinking water.

Don’t drink all the water in once! In fact, you mustn’t drink more than 0.21 gallons/0.8 liter of water in an hour, because water poisoning is a real threat. You can prevent water poisoning if you distribute your water intake throughout the day.

Just be mindful of your water intake frequency: having a water drinking plan is a great way of achieving this.

2. Swap sweetened coffee, tea, soda, juices with pure water (or their unsweetened equivalent)

If you strictly follow the rules of the 30 day water challenge, then you shouldn’t drink sweetened soda/coffee/tea/juices nor alcohol at all. Swapping your sweetened drinks with pure water is great step towards a healthy lifestyle!

If you are finding this to be really strict, then start the 30 day water challenge by taking your coffee/tea without sugar, honey or artificial sweeteners. Swap soda and juices with water! Limit your alcohol intake to drinking 1 glass of vine or other alcohol 1-2 times per week as a treat.

Am I allowed to drink this during the 30 day water challenge?
Drink type Allowed Not allowed
Coffee Yes if unsweetened Sweetened coffee NOT allowed
Tea Yes if unsweetened Sweetened tea NOT allowed
Soda Yes if soda water Sweetened sodas NOT allowed
Juices NOT allowed NOT allowed
Milk Yes if unsweetened Sweetened milk NOT allowed

3. Does water in my coffee/tea/soda/juice/soup count as water?

Drinks such as unsweetened coffee and unsweetened tea also count in into your water intake during the 30 day water challenge. You can also count the water in soups as well.

We agreed that you are going to drink water instead of juices and soda during the 30 day water challenge, so it is clear that water counts as water.

Soda is allowed only if it is soda water (sparkling water), a natural potable mineral water with high concentration of sodium bicarbonate, typically carbonated. Keep in mind, that flavored carbonated water contains sweeteners, so it is not allowed as a drink during the 30 day water challenge. You should stay away from any kind of soda beverages.

However, if you choose to treat yourself with that 1 glass of vine or other type of alcohol, don’t count them in your daily water intake.

If you’ve read this far, it means that you are ready to start your 30 day water challenge! If you have any reservations about drinking 1 gallon/3.7 liter water a day for 30 days, consult your doctor.

Need proof of the benefits of drinking more water? See my results of the 30 day water challenge>>>

Starting a 30 day water challenge? 4 alarming issues you need to address

Starting a 30 day water challenge? 4 alarming issues you need to address

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water glassA lot of you asked about the 30 day water challenge I’ve completed, so here you will find answers from how much water should you drink during the water challenge to how often should you drink, as well as advice to 4 alarming issues you will come across during those 30 days.

If you are reading this, then it means that you are ready to start your 30 day water challenge and you need no more proof of the benefits of drinking more water. However, if you are still not convinced of the benefits, head over here to read about the results you could have after completing the 30 day water challenge>>>

The rules of the 30 day water challenge are simple: you drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water for 30 days. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But there are questions that will emerge after you start the 30 day water challenge – so let’s address them one by one:

1. How much water should I drink during the 30 day water challenge?

water_drinking_planThe starting rule is to daily drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water for 30 days. If you are anything like me, you have busy and hectic workweek and eventful weekends, and at some point you will just forget to drink enough water.

So start the 30 day water challenge by creating a water drinking plan for yourself to drink that 1 gallon/3.7 liter water a day.

    • My weekday water drinking plan was that on weekdays I drank 2×50 oz/2×1.5 l during my office hours from 9 till 5, and then drank my my 26 oz/0.75 l workout bottle during my afternoon workout. The truth is that this water drinking plan worked perfectly on weekdays, however on weekends I needed another plan to meet my water goal of 1 gallon/3.7 liters.
    • The weekend water drinking plan that worked for me was to drink a glass of water before and after every meal. On Saturday mornings I drank a glass of water right after I woke up, then 1 more glass after my morning routine of washing face, teeth, and dressing up for the day, and 1 more glass of water during/after breakfast. With 4 meals a day, I still had to fill my 26 oz/0.75 l workout bottle twice a day and carry it around with me to come close to my goal of 1 gallon/3.7 liters.
    • I recommend drinking just water, but at first it might feel too overwhelming and boring. This is when you can spice things up! If you are tired of drinking just pure water, try infusing water with various fruits and herbs! Your taste buds will thank you, and it still counts as drinking water! What I’ve found useful, is this water bottle that you can drag around with you all day and have different fruit flavored water every day!

2. How much water should I drink all in one during the 30 day water challenge?

Water cure
“Let’s cure him of those pesky electrolytes!”

Don’t drink 1 gallon/3.7 liters of water all at once, because water poisoning is a real thing. It happens when you wash out the electrolytes that your body needs. In fact, this was used as a way of torture in the Medieval century.

To avoid water poisoning, just don’t drink more than 0.21 gallons/0.8 liter of water in an hour. If you have healthy kidneys, they filter 0.21 – 0.26 gallons/0.8-1 liter of water per hour. See this list of risk factors for water poisoning. If you have your reservations about drinking 1 gallon/3.7 liter water a day for 30 days, consult with your doctor.

Don’t worry too much, because if you are anything like me, then usually you don’t drink enough water. So at the beginning of your 30 day water challenge, your main problem will be to get used to remind yourself to drink water – the risk of water poisoning won’t be on the table until later on. Only when you develop the habit to drink plenty water, and get used to visiting the toilet more frequently, you might face the problem of drinking excess amount of water in a short period of time.

Don’t let the thought of water poisoning discourage you in starting your 30 day water challenge, because drinking lots of water has many benefits. But just like all the other issues  in your life, you must be mindful of your water intake frequency. You easily can prevent water poisoning if you distribute your water intake throughout the day.

So the next question that pops into your head should be:

3. How often should I drink during the 30 day water challenge?

Distribute your water intake throughout the day: drink water in the morning, before and after meals, during workout, during work and running errands.Starting a 30 day water challenge? 4 alarming issues you need to address

During my 30 day water challenge, I was drinking 2×50 oz/2×1.5 l during my office hours, and a 26 oz/0.75 l workout bottle during my afternoon workout on weekdays. On weekends I usually failed to meet the 1 gallon/3.7 liters goal; tried hard coming close to it by drinking a glass of water right after I woke up, then 1 glass after my morning routine, and 1 more glass of water during/after breakfast, and drinking 1 glass of water before and after my other 3 meals.

Your goal is to get close to your daily water intake of 1 gallons/3.7 liters, but don’t overstress if you fail. There are days when you won’t make your goal, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t experience the benefits of your 30 day water challenge.

4. Does soda/coffee/tea/juices count as drinking water during the 30 day water challenge?

hot coffeeIf you want to strictly follow the rules of the 30 day water challenge, then you shouldn’t drink sweetened soda/coffee/tea/juices nor alcohol at all. In fact, you could stop to drink sweetened drinks even after the 30 day water challenge is over! Changing your drinks from soda/juices to pure water is your best bet towards a healthy lifestyle. So during the 30 days, start by taking your coffee/tea without sugar, honey or artificial sweeteners. Swap soda and juices with water! Limit your alcohol intake.

During my 30 day water challenge, I drank one coffee in the morning without sugar and just a little bit of milk. Stopped drinking sweetened beverages a long time ago, and drank water instead, so that wasn’t a problem. However, I like to drink a glass of vine few times a week with my dinner – so I limited this to one glass per week. It was a special treat to drink a glass of vine for my romantic weekend dinners.

To sum it up: consider the water in unsweetened coffee or tea, but don’t count the once-a-week alcohol if you are choosing to have that fun drink.

Ready to start you 30 day water challenge? Way to go! If you have any questions about the 30 day water challenge before you start it or during it, feel free to ask it in the comments section below.

anorexia vs phantom fat distorted body image

Unexpected results of completing Maria Kang’s 30-day no excuse water challenge

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It was summer, it was hot, and I knew I should be drinking way more liquids. That’s when I stumbled upon the call for Maria Kang’s no excuse water challenge, so it was the perfect opportunity to make myself drink more water. I was skeptic about keeping up daily drinking 1 gallon a water for a month, but I started anyway.

Rules of the 30-day water challenge
Rules of the 30-day water challenge

You hear everywhere about the benefits of drinking plenty water, but if you are anything like me, you know that it is good for you, but during the busy and hectic workweek and eventful weekends, you just don’t remember to drink. So I started by creating a plan to drink that 1 gallon a day. Got a 50 oz bottle sitting on the table of my office desk which had to be drunk twice during my office hours, and then I only had to fill and drink my 26 oz workout bottle during my workout to drink a gallon a day. Sounds easy? Well, like everything else, it is challenging at first, but then you get used to it. I was really curious about all the positive things that consuming more water and keeping yourself hydrated would do to my body.

The unexpected results of completing Maria Kang’s 30-day no excuse water challenge are:

1. Wrinkles around the eyes are gone

After 5 days of drinking plenty water the wrinkles under and in the corner of my eyes visibly reduced. 25 days into the challenge I did a 2-step wrinkle test with strips. The test shows how deep your wrinkles are, and mine said that I am wrinkle free! I have to admit that lines under my eye are still visible, but their length and depth is reduced. Not bad at all, especially if you consider that all I had to do is keep myself hydrated for a month!

2. Pesky pimples and acne free face

If you suffer from cystic acne, you pretty much know how irritating and depressing regular monthly flare ups can be. Nobody needs to tell you how uncomfortable it is. I am a 33 year old female and until recently I also struggled with acne. I’ve seen improvements in the last year after an active year of trial and error and finally I’ve found the best skin care regimen for myself – 3 months ago I have finished developing an ultimate home skin care routine that made a difference (see how: use your brain to help your face). However, once a month the start of my period still marked another monthly event: a total skin freak-out.

So imagine my surprise when only after 6 days of drinking plenty water I noticed an improvement in my overall skin tone. Even further, when that time of the month arrived and for the first time in my life I had no breakouts! It’s been 30 days, and I am pimple free!

My honest confession: after finishing the 30-day #noexcusewaterchallenge I stopped watching my water intake and drink less than 1/2 a gallon a day. After only 3 days 3 pesky pimples appeared. Bummer.

3. Perfect poop every morning

unexpected results of completing Maria Kang's 30-day no excuse water challenge Are you a perfect pooper? Research suggests that the range of “normal” pooping is typically 1-3 times a day. And it should look like a snake (see the Bristol Stool Chart Type 4 ). You should not push hard for the perfect poop: it is a balance between not having to push or strain, but also not having so much urgency you barely can hold it. Thanks to the water challenge, my bowel movements became normal and I make the most perfect snake poop every morning. This alone was a motivation for friends around me to start drinking more water each day, and now we are a bunch of happy friends creating perfect snake poop!

4. Lost almost 9 lbs in 30 days

I never believed that I could lose pounds by not changing my habits and by not incorporating more exercise into my current routine nor by consuming less calories, but it became a reality! On day 11 I weighed 4 pounds less than when I started the challenge! It was quite a surprise for me! Although the weight loss did not continue in this initial rate, I still weighed 9 lbs lighter at the end of the challenge! I have to emphasize that the calories I burn on a day-to-day basis remained the same as well as my healthy eating habits.

5. Highly energized and well rested every single day

I resent waking up early and walking to the office. My only motivation is the first and only fresh cup of coffee that I drink at the office. Then on the last week of the 30-day water challenge everything changed. I haven’t slept more than usually, but after I woke up I felt refreshed and full of energy. It wasn’t just a one-timer: this was the case every single morning, and the fully energized feeling lasts throughout the day. I have tons of energy for the gym after my workday, and I Hulk smash every single workout!

When I spot a woman on a street walking towards me with dark circles or wrinkles around her eyes, I can barely hold myself from approaching and shaking her, screaming:

“Start drinking more water, woman!”

Completing the 30-day water challenge and seeing the positive results it has made me crazy, I know. Although I wanted to scream at and shake women when I found out what a difference a perfectly fitting bra makes, so maybe it’s just me reacting weirdly to new things that make me prettier and my life easier and healthier.

Any of these benefits alone were enough motivation for my friends and family to start consuming more water, and they experienced after a few days the advantages themselves! The 30-day water challenge is over, but this should not keep you from starting your own water challenge and see the benefits for yourself!

Here is a list of 4 alarming things you need to know before you start a 30 day water challenge. Click here>>>

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