Drinking Water
A post about drinking water and the benefits of it. How obvious and pointless does this seem? Well, it did to me too until I actually wondered what all of this water I’m supposed to drink does. I started wondering what the benefits are, how much I actually need to drink a day in order to reap the benefits and so much more. So, if you read no further than this last sentence, take away that drinking water is good for you and necessary and drink lots of it. If you choose to continue reading, let’s talk about facts and the reasons why.
Benefits Of Drinking Water
Besides the obvious of we need to drink water in order to live, water is beneficial for so many other things. Good thing I like it. The shocking part is that even with liking water, I still find myself not drinking enough. There are so many reasons and benefits to staying hydrated but below are seven benefits of drinking water.
Benefit #1: Energy Levels and Brain Function
Feeling sluggish? Distracted? Unmotivated? Slower than usual? Studies show that even mild dehydration can effect your brain function. Mild dehydration can impair mood, concentration, memory and feelings of anxiety and fatigue. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have felt these feelings and realized I forgot to drink enough water. It seems crazy that something as simple as drinking water more frequently and in larger quantities could effect someone’s mental and emotional health so much but it does. Good news is that something so simple can fix feelings and things that can so deeply effects us as humans.
Benefit #2: Headache Prevention
All of my headache / migraine friends, listen up! I have suffered from migraines since I was in elementary school and they are terrible. While drinking water will not take away my migraines ever, they will significantly help and they also can avoid regular headaches that are caused by being dehydrated.
Benefit #3: Digestion
Let’s label this digestion for the sake of keeping in everyone’s minds that girls don’t poop. Duh. So now that I’ve painted a prettier picture, let’s get real. This should be called constipation. Everyone has been there and it’s uncomfortable. Increased fluid has proven to help this issue.
Benefit #4: Weight Loss
Drinking water 100% can help with weight loss. Most of the time, when we are hungry, tired or really any emotion that we want to eat, we are dehydrated. Drinking water can increase how satisfied you feel after a meal and in general, along with can boost your metabolism. The most effective way to do this: drink water 30 minutes before a meal.
Benefit #5: Improves Complexion
Drinking water apparently helps moisturize your skin, keep your skin soft, and removes wrinkles. While I personally don’t have facts that I can prove that I did this and it did all of this perfectly, I can say that my skin looks brighter and more glow-y when I drink more which I’m sure is because my body is hydrated.
Benefit #6: Boosts Immune System
Water carries oxygen to your cells which helps fight against illness and also helps flush out the toxins in your body. Last year I traveled to New York every few weeks and every few weeks I was getting sick from the plane. It was awful. Since then, I drink 1 liter of water before every flight with Emergen-C in it and try to drink 1 more liter before I land and I swear (knock on wood) I don’t get sick from traveling anymore. Not to say I won’t ever again, but I definitely believe this helps.
Benefit #7: Prevents Bad Breath
Ever notice your breath isn’t as fresh by the middle or end of the day as it once was in the morning? Bad breath is often caused from dehydration and can be avoided from increasing your water intake.
How Much Water Should I Drink A Day?
This question has lots of answers to it, and to be honest, I don’t know what the actual correct answer is. The rule I think is easiest to follow is 8×8. 8×8 means drinking 8, 8oz glasses of water a day. It’s easy to remember and easy to follow. How much have you had so far? Go pour yourself a glass.
What If I Don’t Like Drinking Water?
A lot of people don’t, or don’t like drinking as much as our bodies require. I personally do like the taste of water, yet I still struggle to drink enough. What I do is switch up and alternate between regular water and sparkling water. I know sparkling water is a little controversial because it is not as hydrating as regular, but in my opinion, any water is better than zero water.
My mom personally hates drinking water. She’d probably rather have a tooth pulled than have to drink it. Ok…I’m being dramatic and kidding, but she really does hate it and struggles to drink it. What has helped her most is putting different fruits in her glass of water to give the water some flavor.
