Water is the magic elixir for health. In fact, in my family, we call it healthy water, our good luck elixir or our super duper energy boost—even though it’s just plain tap water. Luckily, we have pure well water that’s absolutely delicious. If we didn’t, I’d buy bottled water, because it’s that important to my health and the health of my family. So when you’re working out, don’t forget your water bottle and don’t forget to sip frequently.
Water comes with weight loss benefits.
Besides quenching your thirst, water is a great aid in losing weight. The first reason has to do with thirst. Thirst doesn’t always make you feel thirsty. Some times you’re tricked into feeling hungry, even though you’re simply thirsty. That’s when you go through the refrigerator looking for that special something to please your appetite and it’s usually something like watermelon, Popsicles or sherbet ice cream. The main thing all three have in common is they all contain a lot of water. The next time you feel hungry, grab your water bottle and take a long cool drink. You might find you were only thirsty, not hungry.
Your whole body benefits from adequate hydration.
Consider this, your body is sixty percent water, with the blood being 90 percent, heart and brain 73 percent and lungs about 83 percent water. You can see that dehydration, loss of fluid, can create some problems. Dehydration can cause wrinkling and skin disorders. Since cartilage is about 80 percent water, it can also cause joint disorders. It’s necessary for the production of hormones and neurotransmitters and lack of it for lengthy periods can affect how the brain functions.
Drinking plenty of water flushes out toxins.
Not only does water flush out toxins, it’s a good diuretic. If you’re retaining water, you may think drinking less is the route to go, where in reality, more is often the route. (Green tea also works well.) We call water the energy booster because it does carry oxygen throughout the body, via the blood. It also can end the fatigue caused by dehydration, making the heart work less hard while pumping more oxygen throughout your body. When you’re hydrated, you’re energized. So if you’re in sports, keep a bottle handy. Did I mention it was lucky, too?
- As you age, the more important it is to focus on drinking water. Signals for thirst become less as people age, medications may be diuretics and incontinence problems may cause less intake of fluid. The results can range from dizziness and difficulty walking to dementia-like symptoms and rapid heart rate.
- Water helps the boy regulate its temperature via sweating. It also boosts circulation so nutrients get to all cells.
- Pitch that bottle of cola if you want a thirst quencher. Instead, grab a bottle of water. Cola has plenty of sugar that helps mask the salt, which makes you even thirstier. It also will save tons of calories.
- Put a stop to kidney stones by drinking more water. It can even help your digestive system by preventing constipation and too highly acidic stomach acid.
