Did you feel thirsty today? I suppose – at the moment when you experience the thirsty feeling, you are already dehydrated. This thirst is your body asking for rehydration. You should be drinking more water.
Our body is composed of about 60% water. This means that when we are dehydrated almost all of our systems will not work as well. Below are 10 reason why you should be drinking more water.
- You’ll die if you don’t drink water. It’s very important. We can live a few days or maybe a week without water depending on our environment. We can live much longer without food. For most of us, we must give priority to the consumption of water much more than we currently do.
- Headaches prevention. Sometimes, headaches can be caused by dehydration, so drinking water can put a stop or alleviate that nasty head pain. The next time you get a headache, try drinking water.
- Cancer prevention. Yes, it is true – several surveys say staying hydrated can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50%, and possibly also reduce the risk of breast cancer.
- Better performance. Proper hydration helps increase athletic performance. Water represents 75% of our muscle tissue! Dehydration can lead to weakness, dizziness, fatigue and electrolyte imbalance.
- Less irritable. Research indicates that dehydration can affect your mood and make you cranky and confused. Drinking more water makes you think clearer and be happier.
- Losing weight. Sometimes we think we are hungry when we are really thirsty. Our bodies just start to activate all alarms when we ignore them. For those of you trying to lose a few pounds, staying hydrated can serve an appetite suppressant and help with weight loss.
- Removes waste and bacteria. Our digestive system needs water to function properly. Waste is emptied through urine and sweat form. If you do not drink water, we will not flush out waste and it accumulates in our body causing a myriad of problems. Combined with fiber, water can cure constipation.
- Having less joint pain. Drinking water can reduce joint pain keeping the cartilage soft and hydrated. This is really how Glucosamine helps reduce joint pain by helping the absorption of water in the cartilage.
- Make your skin shine. Our skin is the body’s largest organ. Regular and abundant water consumption can enhance the color and texture of your skin holding the new cell construction properly. Drinking water also helps the skin do their job to regulate body temperature through sweating.
- Feed your body. Water is important for proper circulation of nutrients in the body. Water serves at the body’s transportation system and when we are dehydrated things can not move along too.
Basic rules for drinking water:
- Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water (if weighing 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water each day).
- Eat raw fruits and vegetables – these are dense in water. You can get water from food, not only from drinks.
- Bring a bottle everywhere with you as a reminder to keep drinking.
- Drink water and other fluids until you urinate regularly and with light color.
Bonus: To see how water affects your body vs sports drinks when exercising check out this article.
