Water! The general recommendations are to get 8 fl oz 8 times/day. This can differ for everyone- Listen to your body, watch your pee color (should be clear) and drink more when exercising and in hot weather.
10 Health benefits to drinking Water:
1. Water helps boosts your mood. Since your brain is made of mostly water, providing it with the element that its most made of supports your mood and mental focus too! It helps to keep your brain running on all cylinders.
2. Water helps boost energy levels! Since your cells are made of water and need it to perform all the chemical functions they are asked to perform daily, if they have enough water to help them perform, this can boost your energy. Next time you have to fly, make sure you stay well hydrated to help with jet lag and energy depletion!
3. Keeps your skin, hair and nails healthier & more vibrant. They are made of water also! Same concept…
One tip since Summer is almost here which means more Pool Time is to rinse your hair with clean water before getting into the pool…this helps the hair follicles absorb clean water and block out more chlorinated water from drying it out.
4. Water can help keep you regular. Water helps support your colon motility and the processing all the foods we ingest toward better digestion to the body’s use and absorption. It also helps keep stools softer which may help them pass easier. It may not cure constipation but certainly cant hurt!
5. Water helps to regulate body temperature! When you sweat, the evaporation of the sweat lowers your body temperature. You need to make sure you’re getting enough water to help replace the loss of fluids to help maintain the right internal body temperature. This also helps regulate your metabolism which is essentially your body’s core temperature. We all want the most efficient metabolism! Water is just one way to help support your metabolism. More on that in another blog!
6. Water helps to flush toxins out of your body! You cant “flush” anything with out sufficient water.
7. Water helps to prevent muscle cramping, helps keep joints lubricated & muscles elastic.
If you’re exercising and lifting weights (which I hope you are!) then help support muscle recovery not only by getting sufficient protein but also water which help with electrolyte balance and keep your muscles energetic and ready to go. Water is also found in the fluid that supports your joints, synovial fluid. Water can also help lessen muscle use recovery time and pain!
8. Water can help prevent kidney stones from forming. Among other things in our diet, getting enough water can help with flushing the body of crystals that are formed in the kidneys. It helps to keep them from concentrating which can lead to the development of those painful stones. Drink up!
9. Since your brain is made of mostly water, getting enough helps prevent headaches. You know the drill, a night of heavy drinking and lack of water consumption in between, you’ll most likely feel your head pounding the next day! The same goes if we have to much caffeine during the day with not enough water. Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate the body and can lead to headaches. Not all headaches are caused by dehydration of course, but when it is the cause, this is because when the brain lacks enough water, is contracts or shrinks and pulls away from the skull which causes the pain! Can I have another bottle of water please??
10. An finally (but not lastly)….Water helps to control your appetite and can be used as a “hunger meter” to gauge if you’re body is really hungry or thirsty?! When you’re trying to lost weight, try drinking 16 oz of water and wait 15 mins before reaching for that snack. See if you’re still hungry or your body needed some water to boost its energy levels! I know friends who lost weight doing this and were able to eat a healthy diet and lost the weight in a healthy pace.
These are just 10 of many reasons why to get enough water into your daily routine! How will YOU make sure water is available to you all day?
I personally always have a bottle of water in the car with me and drink it without even thinking. You can flavor your water with any fruit you like – let is sit in the fridge for at least 15 mins or so to get infused. The longer it sits, the more pronounced the flavor!
TRY these variations to flavor your water naturally with no artificially sweeteners!
-Cut ½ apple with a cinnamon stick
-Cut cucumber and slightly crushed mint leaves
-Lemons, limes or both
-Frozen berries or other fruit for a flavorful, refreshing drink
What you drink infused water in matters! So you don’t get the ill effects of plastics leaching into your water, especially when using citrus fruits, be sure to use BPA free glass bottles like the one I use by Miu. They offer many styles and fun colors too!
Drink up and Best in Health!!
Lori