7 LITTLE KNOWN BENEFITS OF WATER
WATER MAKES YOU SKINNY.
Studies have shown that people who drink 8 ounces of water before a meal eat fewer calories at that meal. And, they have greater fat loss then those who didn’t drink water before meals. This same study (done in a three month time frame) found that those who drank two glasses of water before each meal lost an average of 5 pounds more than the group that did not drink any water before meals.
According to two other studies I found, drinking 17oz. of water can temporarily boost metabolism by 24-30%!!! And this wasn’t before meal time.
While I want to be in the latter group, I will admit drinking 16 or 17 oz of water right before a meal is challenging. One glass however is not. Start there.
One note: Do not drink your water during the meal. That’s completely different. It dilutes the enzymes created by chewing that the body needs for digestion.
DEHYDRATION MAKES YOU FAT.
Dehydration causes stress on your body which increases cortisol production. Cortisol production as you know gives you that spare tire around your belly. So, in a way, dehydration can make you fatter.
WATER GIVES YOU GREAT SKIN.
Water hydrates your skin, making it glow, appear more supple and less “chalky”. You can spend hundreds of dollars on fancy creams but if you don’t drink enough water those “moisturizers” do no good.Our skin is the largest organ of our body. It detoxifies continuously. It needs nourishment and hydration. Without adequate water our skin starts to break down, break out and show other signs of illumination failure. (like how I worded that, lol) If we don’t drink enough water we don’t create enough collagen. Actually we create the collagen, it’s just more brittle than it is supple. (Not the kind of collagen I want to be creating)
WATER MAKES YOU STRONG.
Water helps with muscle recovery. Our body is made up of (approx.) 70% water. Every cell of your body depends on it. In one study in women, who had a fluid loss of 1.36% after exercise had impaired mood, concentration & loss of muscle strength.
Optimal hydration reduces muscle inflammation. If you have an auto immune disease you have enough inflammation in your body. You don’t need to add dehydration to the mix. DRINK WATER.
INADEQUATE WATER MAKES YOU TOXIC.
If you don’t have enough water to hydrate and then detox (in that order) then you are not detoxifying your body.
Imagine trying to wash your clothes and get them clean without using water or without using enough water.
When you’re dehydrated your body pulls water from your circulating blood. This takes it away from your kidneys that are trying to cleanse (filter) your blood. So this adds insult to injury, you do yourself and your body and injustice when you don’t consume adequate amounts of water each day.
WATER COMBATS FATIGUE.
Are you tired all the time? You may just be dehydrated! Are you not drinking at least 64 oz. of water a day (for an average 130-140lb person. If you are more active, then you might need even more!)
When there is less water in the body, there is a drop of blood volume which causes the heart to work harder in order to pump your oxygenated blood into your bloodstream. This causes your other major organs to suffer as a result too! This adds stress to our body.
This creates a vicious cycle. Since dehydration makes you tired, most people reach for caffeine. The more caffeine you have the more dehydrated you become. Caffeine and sugar act like dehydrators to the body.
DEHYDRATION MAKES YOU EAT.
Even a small percentage of dehydration causes the body to send signals to the brain. Unfortunately these signals usually manifest as hunger. Sometimes we think we’re hungry when we’re really thirsty.
Dehydration or thirst is obvious when you eat something salty or have your favorite pizza. It’s not as obvious as a daily rule. You have to drink more water than you think you need in order to prevent dehydration. Even 2% dehydration causes stress to your body.
How Much Water is the Right Amount?
At the end of the day, no one can tell you exactly how much water YOU need. Needs vary based on the amount of sweating you do, alcohol or caffeine you drink, sugar you eat and other factors from breastfeeding to vomiting (sorry to put those two next to each other) As with most things, this is based on the individual.
That being said, there are some guidelines and many proven benefits to drinking 64 oz of water a day. That’s the 8 X 8 rule. This is 8 glasses of 8 ounces. It’s not really that hard to do.
Here are some tips:
- If you eat 3 meals a day, drink a glass of water before each meal. That’s 24 oz.
- Carry around a water bottle. They are usually 16 oz. Finish one before noon and set the next goal to finish the 2nd before 5:00pm. That’s another 32oz.
- Set your phone to remind you to drink if you need to. Put it on your calendar. Etc.
- Have the last 8oz before dessert or while watching TV at night.
Life is complicated enough as it is.
Give yourself a fighting chance. DRINK YOUR WATER!
For more tips and shared experiences FOLLOW ME at ASK MAMA FRAT
November 10, 2016
