So many of us know that we should be
drinking more water, but do we? Perhaps if we have a better
understanding of why we need to drink more water, we may be more
inclined to be more diligent with our consumption. It is estimated
that the average adult only drinks 32 oz (1 L) of water per day which
is half of the standard recommendation for adequate hydration. Many
health ailments can occur with only mild dehydration of 1%.
Often during a dietary change and/or a
Reboot, as a nutritionist I am constantly reminding people to drink the
recommended amount of water to ensure they experience all the health
benefits of the plan. Without drinking the suggested
amount of water, you are more likely to feel a whole host of symptoms
that won't encourage you to keep going.
So here I wanted to list the major benefits you'll experience once you start getting your hydration levels up!
1. Weight Loss
This is due to the fact that water can increase satiety and boost your metabolic
rate for up to 60 minutes following the consumption of 16 oz (500
ml) of water. This may be equivalent to 100 extra calories per day that
can be burnt just by making sure you're drinking enough water.
Drinking water 30 minutes before meals is
the most effective. It will support satiety so that you eat fewer
calories. In another study, people who drank 16 oz. (500 ml) of water
before meals lost 44%
more weight, over a period of 12 weeks.
2. Stops Headaches In Its Tracks
Our brain is also largely water and as you
can imagine, dehydrate that brain and you will experience pain,
discomfort and poor cognition to boot. In a
study it was shown that dehydration degraded mood, increased
perception of task difficulty, lowered concentration, and headaches
resulted from 1.36% dehydration in females.
For any headaches, before you do anything
else hit that glass of water or 2.............*
3. Mood And Motivation
Even a slight drop of 1-2% in hydration has
been found to cause poor mood and lack of motivation. I'm sure you
have all been there. Even a slight decrease in cellular hydration and
things will start to dip.
4. Feeling Light-Headed And Dizzy
This can be caused from a number of things
including irregular blood sugar levels, blood pressure changes, fatigue,
inner ear disturbances and Meniere's disease, but dehydration
can also cause dizziness.
5. Exercise Performance
Muscle mass contains about 70-75% water so
when this level of cellular hydration reduces even by 2-3% there are
symptoms that can become quite uncomfortable such as fatigue, aches and
pains, muscular spasms and cramps and reduced
muscle performance. Where there is lack of water, exercise becomes more
difficult as the body temperature control is effected along with
fatigue. Keep those water levels up to improve your motivation and
physical energy for increased exercise performance.
6. Energy
As they say, by the time you feel thirsty mild dehydration of about 1-2% has already occurred along with symptoms. In
one study it was demonstrated that women suffered dehydration
symptoms faster, and with mild dehydrations came fatigue with lowered
energy.
7. Constipation
Constipation can occur due to lack of
water. As the stool needs lubrication through the bowel, water has a
very important role to play. When there is a short supply of water, the
bowel may be the last organ to get enough so if you're
feeling sluggish then drink a few extra servings of water and get
moving! Remember the more fiber you consume the more fluid you need.
8. Dry Skin And Complexion
Keeping well hydrated is the best
anti-aging remedy around, if the skin is well hydrated the face appears
less wrinkled, so drink up!
9. Kidney Stones
With increased dilution of excretory
metabolites and minerals through the kidneys this could reduce the
occurrence of experiencing kidney stones and keeping those kidneys nice
and healthy.
* Part of this paragraph had to be deleted because of FDA regulations regarding essential oils on my blog, since I am a Wellness Advocate for a essential oil company. ~ Lois
* Part of this paragraph had to be deleted because of FDA regulations regarding essential oils on my blog, since I am a Wellness Advocate for a essential oil company. ~ Lois
