Getting enough water is essential to your health and weight loss efforts, but how do you get enough water each day and not feel waterlogged?
Your body is made up of 70% water, and your brain is 90% water. Without adequate water, your body does not function properly.
If you are not in the habit of drinking water on a daily basis, suddenly drinking eight glasses of water may make you feel like you will float away. The average recommendation is to drink eight glasses of water a day, but for others, it may be more or less depending on your activity level. The more exercise you do, the more water you need to drink.
Water has many benefits for your body, some of which you may not even realize.
Water is an appetite suppressant. Many times people feel hungry when they are actually dehydrated. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water, then wait ten to twenty minutes and see if you are still hungry. If you’re not, it was actually dehydration.
Drinking cold water can help speed up your metabolism. Your body has to work to heat up the water, thereby increasing your metabolism.
Water can help prevent headaches. Many headaches are actually caused by dehydration. If you feel a headache coming on, drink some water and see if it helps to diminish or eliminate your headache.
Drinking more water prevents water retention. This may sound backward, but it is actually accurate. If your body feels like it is beginning to dehydrate, it will retain the water that is already in your body.
Water can help ease joint pain. The cartilage between your bones needs water to remain supple and keep your joints moving as they should.
Water can diminish facial lines and keep a clear complexion. Water helps oxygen flow to your face, and staying properly hydrated keeps your face plumped up and diminishes the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Knowing the benefits of water, how do you increase your water intake to get the healthy body you are striving for?
Try adding one glass of water each day. In just over a week, you will be drinking the eight glasses of water that is recommended each day.
If you are a coffee or soda drinker, replace one cup each day with a cup of water. For many people, suddenly stopping caffeine can cause severe headaches due to withdrawal. Gradually wean yourself off of caffeinated drinks to avoid the withdrawal headache.
If the lack of flavor in water has you hesitant to drink it, add flavor by putting a slice of lemon, lime, or orange in your water. There are several powdered mixes available now that you can add to your water to enhance the flavor. Some offer added benefits like extra fiber or protein. Watch the calorie content on these products, or you may be adding more calories during the day than you anticipate. Sugar-free sweeteners can sabotage your diet as well. Excess use of these mixes can cause water retention and, for some people, headaches.
Keep water bottles in your refrigerator, on your desk, or anyplace else you are on a regular basis. You will find it easier to drink the water you should take each day if it is readily available. Buy a refillable water bottle that you can quickly fill before you leave the house or office or have in your refrigerator-that you just need to grab as you go.
Drink your water through a straw. Most people have a tendency to drink faster and more through a straw.
Keep a large container or pitcher of water in the refrigerator that equals your daily requirement of water. Keeping track of how many glasses of water you have had each day can be difficult. If you find a jug or pitcher that holds the amount of water you need each day, it is easy to monitor the amount of water you have had and how much more you need.
