Wellness
5 Reasons to Drink More Water
5 exciting things you didn’t already know about water.
We all know we should drink water, yet many of us don’t drink nearly enough (and much of the world is still without clean sources of it). Water is just…water. It’s a relatively flavorless, not as exciting as, say, a pumpkin spice latte.
Well, I’m here to tell you that it can be exciting. Because the results are exciting. It is literally the source of life. More than half of our bodies are composed of the stuff, and if that’s not enough to get you chugging it, maybe one of these will tickle your fancy:
1. Drinking water keeps your skin glowing
No, it won’t erase wrinkles or reverse signs of aging, but it will give your skin a nice healthy glow. Dehydrated skin looks parched and taut. Drinking water keeps it looking its personal best.
2. Drinking water keeps your appetite in check
Oftentimes the sensation of feeling hungry is a sign of dehydration rather than actual hunger. So the next time a sharp craving hits a mere hour after your last meal (we’ve all been there!), reach for a glass of water instead. It might be just what your body was craving. Even if it turns out you are truly hungry, drinking water can help tide you over until your lunch break. It’s a natural appetite suppressant.
3. Drinking water helps with digestion
Again, when you are dehydrated your body pulls water from other sources. Making sure you get enough water from both water-dense foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and the trusty H2O itself will keep things moving in your gastrointestinal tract. I think we’d all agree that less constipation and bloating is a good thing!
4. Drinking water helps you detox
Drinking water is a great way to detox (no crazy cayenne pepper-lemon juice-maple syrup concoction required!) With the current trend of extreme cleanses, you’ll be happy to learn that you have organs that are performing their own detoxes 24/7. Kidneys are truly amazing organs, filtering out toxins from the bloodstream without any extra effort on your part. Tough little guys that they are, they can power through all of the wild parties and sodium-laden takeout your heart desires. What they can’t stomach, however, is too little water. Dehydration makes it very hard for the kidneys to do their job, and the consequences aren’t just internal. If you wake up to a puffy face and dark circles under you eyes, your kidneys might be begging you to replenish their water supply.
5. Drinking water reduces your risk of blood clotting
When you are dehydrated, what does your body do to compensate? It pulls water from other sources, particularly the bloodstream. This thickens the blood and puts you at risk for clotting. This is especially important for those of us who spend all day sitting at a computer (or on an airplane). Drinking enough water, on the other hand, keeps blood flowing naturally.
But these benefits come with good, clean water. Read on for the difference between artificially and naturally alkaline water, and our pic of the best water filtration system:
Gatorade is NOT the same as water!
A few things to keep in mind about water…
1. Drink it at room temperature. It’s much easier for your body to absorb. Try putting some frozen raspberries in a glass carafe (this is the one I use) to flavor the water.
2. Did you know that artificially alkaline waters should actually be AVOIDED as a daily drinking water? Clinical studies have shown these waters can cause damaging side effects. Think of them as the GMO’s of the water world. There is a vast difference between artificially alkaline water (AQUAhydrate, Essentia, and Smart Water) and naturally alkaline water that most consumers are unaware of. Most alkaline waters on the market use ionizers and processes such as electrolysis, or even sodium bicarbonate to artificially create alkaline water from municipal sources. Water companies are stripping water of their naturally alkaline state to re-add in these materials and make it a higher pH when in reality, they are just making the water worse for consumers.
3. Another thing to remember is to always filter your water. Toxins like fluoride, chlorine, pesticides and heavy metals lurk in unfiltered tap water. We recommend this Berkey system with the optional fluoride/arsenic filter add-on. It rates the best in independent tests and isn’t made using plastic.
4. Filter your shower water, too. According to the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality, “Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93 percent higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.” When you take a shower, you breathe in chlorine fumes and absorb it through your skin.
5. Don’t drink water that’s been packaged in plastic. Here’s why. Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel.
Don’t drink water that is packaged in plastic!
So… the bottom line is this: drink water! Drink it first thing in the morning, drink it with every snack and meal, drink it before you reach for that bag of chips! It’s the fastest, simplest and cheapest way to do something good for your body everyday.
Whitney Moore
I used to drink very little water daily and I always had breakouts that I couldn’t explain. My derma even gave me medications that didn’t even work even after more than a month of using it. Turns out I was drinking very few amounts of water and my skin is too dehydrated. I was told to increase my water intake and my breakouts became fewer after a few weeks. My skin was glowing and even my pores seem to look better! I was really surprised. Even the skin on the rest of my body looked healthier.
Cecilia Little
That was very surprising. I wouldn’t have thought that it was because of lack of hydration either.
Whitney Rife
If these reasons don’t make you drink water, I don’t know what will.?
Tammy Reis
This is what I always tell my friend who hates water. She thinks that as long as she’s drinking fluids that are flavored, she’s fine!
Kathy Gregory
How can she hate water? The problem with flavored drinks is that it has a lot of sugar content. 🙁
MARIA
Water is essential to our health and that’s an undeniable fact. Let’s just try our best to drink clean water all the time! ?
Joanne Moran
Yup, I’m definitely drinking more water from now on. I didnt’t think the benefits were this great.? I used to think that I just didn’t want to be thirsty and that my body needs water to function well.
Dawn Gonzales
I used to drink alkaline water just because it was such a trend and a lot of people are saying that it was healthy. Actually, I didn’t even feel anything different about that water and we didn’t even know if it was legit or not. It was such a crappy trend if you ask me because regular water is pretty much the same. Also, why is it that water in plastic bottles not safe? It’s not like water is available in glass containers especially when you’re buying it outside.
Alexis Stevenson
I’m guilty of not drinking a lot of water. I swear I’ll change that habit from now on. I always get UTI because of not drinking too much water.?
LESLIE
None of us should have an excuse to not drink water. Being healthy is not just about eating healthy but also being hydrated.
Bernice Perry
The Berkey system is really great. We have it at home and it’s really great for filtering water.
Penny Ryan
I didn’t know that water can do this much for my body. All I know is that it can detox and stuff but I didn’t know that it can prevent blood clotting as well. I’m glad that I always stay hydrated and that I love water so much. I don’t have to work on drinking more because I already get enough water daily. Whenever I’m busy within the day and I didn’t get to drink enough water, I make sure to drink more when I have the time. Never forget to drink water no matter what.
Gloria Castillo
Me too! I was so surprised when I found out about this.