Drink Up, Buttercup!: Why Drinking Water Is So Important
Water. It's free. It's readily available. Do you drink enough of it?
If you're like me, I lived many, many years drinking very little water on a daily basis. In fact, in my college days, my consumption of cheap beer probably could have been close to the equivalent amount of what is recommended for the human body for optimal daily functioning. (I'm serious.)
In the last few years, I started to learn more about my health and nutrition in general and discovered I wasn't consuming nearly enough water! So, why is that so important? Well, apparently, drinking water has loads of health benefits.
I will highlight 5 health benefits of drinking water:
1. Improve Energy and Brain Function.
Mild dehydration, which is considered 1-3% of your body weight, can cause problems with brain function. Think focus, concentration, mood, memory, and fatigue. Fluid loss can happen pretty easily with just normal daily activities. Working out or being in high temperatures, both of which increase sweating, accelerate fluid loss. Therefore, bringing your favorite water bottle to the gym, and getting used to having water on hand while out and about, especially in warmer weather, or even at your desk at work, is something to get used to.
2. Reduce and Prevent Headaches.
If you suffer from headaches, I can't stress enough the importance of drinking water. There's many different types of headaches, as well as multiple triggers for headaches and migraines, however, dehydration can easily cause a headache. Dehydration causes a decrease in blood volume. In turn, this means your brain won't get enough oxygenated blood. The result...pain. An easy solution? Drink more water.
3. Assist With Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight, drink water! First of all, often, when we think we are hungry, we are actually just thirsty. Drinking a decent amount of water can actually reduce cravings for food. You will feel full and won't be hunting down the snacks at home and work (I've maybe only done this once or twice in my life. Haha!) Less unhealthy snacking surely helps keep you calories in check if you have a weight loss goal. Secondly, drinking water improves your metabolism. If your metabolism is revved up, you will burn fat. Enough said.
4. Help With Constipation
Problems going #2? Chug the agua! Again, dehydration is one of the big players in causing constipation. There are certainly several reasons that can cause constipation, but if your colon is hydrated well, your stool will be softer and easier to pass. It's worth a try!
5. Healthier Looking Skin
As a woman in her 40's, I have been searching for the secret to nice skin. Sure there are lots of skin care products and procedures to help with aging skin, but drinking water will definitely help keep your skin looking fab! When your skin ages, it loses elasticity, and if we don't stay hydrated, your skin will be be more prone to less resilience causing it to be dry and flaky. Wrinkles will be more noticeable and nobody really likes that! Since I started being mindful of upping my daily water intake, I have noticed a definite reduction in my adult acne and an overall healthier glow to my skin.
HOW MUCH WATER DO I NEED TO DRINK EVERY DAY?
I like to keep it simple. Take your total body weight, divide by 2. This is the total ounces of water you should try to drink daily. To determine how many cups of water, then divide your total ounces by 8.
For example, a 150 pound individual should drink approximately 75 ounces of water daily. (150 pounds ÷ 2 = 75)
Then, 75 ÷ 8 = 9.375
Round up and drink 10 cups per day!
Your body WILL thank you!
