The importance of drinking water is not surprising news – it’s something you hear over and over and over again. You know that about 2/3 of your body is water – around 60% or so, depending on your size. You’ve even heard that 6 to 8 glasses of the stuff a day should be your goal. So, enough about all that!
1. Boosts Your Energy
Dehydration makes you feel tired, and prevents you from being as productive as you’d like to be, whether it’s at work or at the gym. But drinking water can help your heart pump your blood more effectively and can help your blood transport oxygen and other essential nutrients to your cells. The result: more productivity, because you can think more clearly, you’re more alert, and you’re more focused. So…drink up!
2. Helps Muscles & Joints
Drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and lubricates joints in the body.
3. Boosts Your Immune System
Drinking water can help fight against flu and other ailments, even heart attacks, respiratory disease, intestinal problems and arthritis, according to studies. Some of the best benefits can be obtained when you throw a few slices of lemon into your water.
4. Reduces Kidney Stones
The rate of painful kidney stones is rising. One of the reasons could be because people aren’t drinking enough water. What’s the connection? Water dilutes the salts and minerals in your urine that form the solid crystals known as kidney stones. Kidney stones can’t form in diluted urine.
5. Calorie control
Obesity is a contributing factor to many different health conditions today. But drinking water can help boost your metabolism and help you feel fuller, thus helping you succeed in your weight loss goals.
6. Helps Shine Hair
Whether you want shinier hair, younger skin, a healthier body (or all three!), pure, clear water is the world’s best beauty elixir.
7. Puts You in a Good Mood – When the body is functioning at its best, you will feel great and be happy!
8. Improves Skin Complexion – Moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, glowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. It’s the best anti-aging treatment around!
9. Flushes Out Toxins – Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).
10. Helps Prevent Colds
Washing your hands regularly with soap and lukewarm water is the best way to stave off germs that can make you sick. But hand hygiene doesn’t stop when the faucet turns off. Drying hands properly is essential, too, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, which found that even slightly damp hands can increase the spread of bacteria. Be sure to dry hands thoroughly, and if you’re using an electric air dryer, don’t rub your hands together. The same study found that this action could actually increase the growth of bacteria.
11. Fights Disease
“Eating colorful raw fruits and vegetables provides your cells structured water, the best form,” says Dr. Murad. “Structured water stays in your system long enough to nourish and hydrate cells, and as a bonus, these sources of water are also rich in cell-protecting antioxidants and health-enhancing fiber.” Cucumbers, papayas, and watermelon are just some of the produce aisle gems that are more than 90 percent water.
12. Relieves a sore throat
The next time you feel a scratch creep into your throat, try a saltwater gargle. It can’t hurt, according to the Mayo Clinic, and it might just help. Stir 1/4 teaspoon salt into an 8-ounce glass of warm water, take a sip, and gargle. Spit the water out, and repeat until the glass is empty.
13. Muscle fuel. Sweating at the gym causes muscles to lose water. And when the muscles don’t have enough water, they get tired. So for extra energy, try drinking water to push through that final set of squats.
14. Hangover help. If booze has got the best of you, help a hangover with a glass of water to hydrate the body and stop that pounding headache.
The amount of water people need per day is up for debate, but studies suggest adults need nine to 16 cups of H2O. However, this number varies depending on activity level, age, and how much water people are consuming in coffee, tea, or water-rich veggies and fruit. Here’s how to keep yourself hydrated: Begin by drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up, and 30 minutes before eating any big meal. (This will help control appetite, too.) Get in the habit of keeping a water bottle on hand at all times. And if the taste beings to bore, spice up the taste buds with a squeeze of citrus to the glass! Before you know it, all the benefits of water will be right at your fingertips…. and in your body.
Source: mindbodygreen.com/greatist.com/lhj.com/elev8.com
Photo Credit: rsp.berkeley.edu
