Many of us have a busy and sometimes hectic lifestyle – we go to work, have family events and meet with friends and so on. As a result it can be easy to forget to intake the right amount of water throughout the day.
The average adult should be consuming between 6 to 8 glasses of water a day (which amounts to roughly 1.2 litres) and there are some great benefits to making sure you get plenty of water. We’ve listed them below, along with some tips to help you drink more water.
So why should we drink more water?
1. Weight loss
The primary reason consuming water helps you to lose weight is because we often get into the habit of snacking, when we’re actually dehydrated.
Drinking water when you are peckish between meals is a great way to prevent over-eating, as waiting 15 minutes following a hunger pang and after hydration will determine whether you need sustenance.
Water is also zero calories – so it’s a win-win!
2. Clears Skin
Spending tons of money on the newest beauty creams and spot-preventing faces washes? Don’t bother!
Drinking more water will provide you with clearer skin. This is because water effectively flushes toxins out of the body, which are the most common cause of spots.
3. Helps with digestion
If you’re consuming the right number of calories per day, then drinking water at least 15 minutes before a meal will help you to better realise when you have had enough to eat.
Drinking water following a meal also helps you to digest food more effectively and prevents bloating.
4. Prevents and treat headaches
The human body is made of 70% water, so when we don’t consume enough of it, we dehydrate and our brains literally shrink.
The shrinking of the brain due to lack of fluid leads to it pulling away from the skull, which is what causes headache – so ensure you get enough water to prevent this.
5. Maintain body fluid balance
Fluid balance is essential for effective homeostasis, which is the integral system which keeps our bodies going.
Without proper fluid regulation, all other systems in the body break down – from brain function, to heart rate, to cell production.
Intaking the correct amount water ensure that the water-electrolyte balance is properly maintained, and the body functions properly.
6. Helps fights off fatigue and energize you
Dehydration is one of the main causes of fatigue – without proper fluid intake, our bodies cannot function effectively as our blood levels are reduced. As a result, without proper hydration, we don’t have the correct energy levels to function at our usual rate.
Consuming plenty of water will help you to feel energized, alert, and vigilant and makes exercise much easier.
7. Helps Your Immune System
Water is great at flushing toxins out of the body, specifically because it helps your kidneys to do their job most effectively. Your kidneys are responsible for removing waste from your blood in the form of urine. And the more waste you can remove, the better!
This process also helps to effectively remove pathogens in the blood, so consuming more water helps to reduce your likelihood of catching coughs and colds.
8. Its free!
Although we’re stating the obvious here, this is one of the main reasons water is such a great source of hydration. Make the most of it!
Tips for consuming more water
Buy a large capacity water bottle
This might seem like a given, but most standard water bottles only hold between 700ml to 800ml, so you’re likely to need to refill quite regularly, and easily forget to rehydrate as a result.
Fitness brands likes MyProtein sell 64oz bottles – drink just one serving of these in a day, and you’re all set!
Set a drinking routine
It’s always good to get into a good routine to take in more fluid. Having a glass or bottle by your bed ready for when you wake up is a great way to get in your first serving of water – and is one of the most crucial times to hydrate, too!
Calculate what your intake should be
Did you know that the amount of water you should consume per day actually depends on where you live, how old you are, and how active you are?
You can calculate how much water you need in a day here.
