To quote one of my kids, “water is the captain of healthy foods.” Water is vital to every process within the body. Important for transporting oxygen, lubricating joints and skin and removing waste. Not getting enough water can have deleterious effect on your health. Your body is great at masking the initial signs of dehydration so you may be experiencing some of them without even knowing it. Here are some of the biggest benefits to increasing your water consumption:
- Prevent and relieve headaches- one of the initial signs of dehydration is a headache. If you get regular headaches try hitting your water intake goal and record how your headaches change
- Increase energy- Being low on water forces the body to get by without the proper tools. As you increase your water you will notice higher energy and motivation
- Weight loss- This one works by a couple different ways. First off, drinking water especially before meals can lead to a decrease in the amount of food you take in. Second, as you replace water for the sugar beverages you will get a boost from dropping those calories as well
- Water+Fiber= regular bowel movements. Avoid constipation and all the associated problems from getting backed up
So how much water do you need? The general recommendation is half of your body weight in ounces of water. So a 140 lb person would need 70 oz of water. This might seem like a lot to you right now, so build slowly.
Here are my top tips to getting your water intake up to a level to help you feel and look great:
- Start the morning off with a glass of cold water. This will give you a fresh start to the day and already be well on your way to achieving one of your goals
- Drink a glass of water before every meal- This will help fill up your stomach a little sooner and replace the sugary drinks
- Carry a water bottle- easy access is key to hitting your goal
- Drink water before, during and after every workout
- Add some fruit (lemon, lime, raspberry) to flavor the water
My challenge to you: Take a moment right now to calculate how much water you need. Write that number down! Now get after it!