Drink Your Water, Stay Hydrated!
It is a proven fact that we can’t live without water! Staying hydrated is one of the most important ways to stay healthy and maintain a proper body weight. Without sufficient water in your body, your cells get congested, your skin can’t detox, and your bladder and kidneys won’t work properly. You’ll feel tired and eat more, too.
When you feel thirsty, your body is dehydrated. While you can make a habit of drinking water first thing in the morning to help stay hydrated, as many ancient medicinal arts suggest, sipping water throughout the day also is important.
Note that sweet juices, soda, tea or coffee are NOT substitutes for pure water. They simply won’t hydrate you as well. Sugar, salt and caffeine dehydrate the body. If you can’t kick the morning coffee habit, be sure to drink a tall glass of water alongside of it to make sure you aren’t dehydrating yourself further.
Drinking water more often also helps you feel full, so you may eat less. When you feel hungry, your body actually may be telling you that it needs fluids. Try a glass of water first, and then eat something if you still feel hungry.
10 Benefits of Proper Hydration
1. Combats Fatigue – You can’t run on all four cylinders if you are dehydrated. Water is one of the most important sources of energy for your body. It helps cells complete important enzymatic activities that contribute to good sleep, restoration of bodily systems, and the production of ample energy.
2. Reduces High Blood Pressure – When the body is fully hydrated, the blood is approximately 92% water. This helps keep the blood moving freely through the veins and arteries, helping prevent high blood pressure and other cardiovascular ailments.
3. Helps Stop Allergies and Asthma – When the body is dehydrated, it creates more histamines. Histamines help regulate the immune response, but when there are too many, congestion, sniffles, and other allergic reactions result.
4. Promotes Healthy Skin – With proper hydration, the skin practically glows. Without it, our skin cannot properly rid itself of toxins and so it becomes irritated, inflamed and congested, causing a host of unsavory results ranging from itching, blackheads, redness, acne and general blotchiness.
5. Improves High Cholesterol – When the body hasn’t had enough water, it will start to produce more cholesterol so that cells can still function properly.
6. Improves Digestive Disorders – Water can help eliminate or reduce the incidence of ulcers, bloating, gas, gastritis, acid reflux and IBS. You also will experience less frequent constipation since water helps matter move more quickly through the intestinal tract. A well-hydrated body is better at purging toxins and metabolic wastes.
7. Flushes Unwanted Bacteria from the Bladder and Kidneys – People who are well hydrated experience less frequent bladder or kidney infections since water helps to flush out any unwanted microbes that try to accumulate in these organs. These organs are especially sensitive to disease without proper hydration since they are responsible for eliminating stored toxins and bodily waste.
8. Speeds Joint and Cartilage Repair – If we don’t drink enough water, our bones will feel stiff and our joints will take a beating. Drinking water also helps our joints recover after workouts.
9. Stop Gaining Unwanted Weight – When our cells are depleted of water, they cannot create energy we need to function, and so they send a signal to the brain to ‘get more goods.’ This means you will eat more, and likely gain weight. To avoid this, simply stay hydrated and your cells will stay happy, and won’t send ‘fat signals’ to the brain.
10. Slows the Aging Process – If we are dehydrated for long stretches, every cell, organ and system in the body has to work harder, which means we age faster. Drinking enough water literally keeps you feeling, looking and acting young.
Now that you know all the benefits, go get a glass of water, and add some lemon, orange or cucumber wedges for a little flavoring! Or let a pitcher of water infused with herbs like mint, holy basil or sage steep in the refrigerator overnight. The result is delicious and healthy.
