When was the last time you felt well hydrated, truly hydrated?  Today I’m going to talk about why water is so important to us. In fact, I’ll give you ten reasons (in no particular order) to drink plenty of water.

 

Ten Reasons to Drink Water
  1. Water plumps up our cells and makes our skin look much healthier. Dehydration reduces our skin’s elasticity and leaves us looking older and more wrinkled. Quick, pour me a glass of water!
  2. Water keeps us from getting headaches. Did you know that our brains are 75% water? Picture your brain dehydrated and all shriveled up like a prune. Oh wait, that’s how it looks when it’s healthy. You get what I mean though… On the rare occasions that I get a headache, I almost always feel better if I drink a big glass of water. That’s ALWAYS my first approach for treating it, before reaching for anything else. (Note: I understand that migraines and sinus headaches are totally different.)
  3. Water makes us feel fuller and less likely to overeat. Often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty. Seriously, next time you want to go buy a candy bar at 3 PM, try drinking a glass of water and waiting abut 15 minutes and see if you are still starving.
  4. Water helps keep our muscles from cramping. Dehydration slows the flow of blood down, thus delaying the transport of fresh oxygen to our working muscles.
  5. Water aids in digestion and helps our food move through our system more efficiently. People who are constipated are often dehydrated. The lack of water in the intestines drys out the poop (yes, that’s my technical/professional term for it) and causes it to slow down drastically.
  6. Water helps flush sodium out of our system and helps keep us from getting that puffy look. When I go out to eat (which usually means eating more sodium laden foods than usual), I always try to drink lots of water during and afterward.
  7. Water flushes toxins out of our bodies and makes us less susceptible to infections. When our lymphatic system is well hydrated it is able to work more efficiently removing wastes that can cause infections.
  8. Water helps fight bad breath. Our saliva becomes thicker when we are dehydrated and bacteria isn’t washed out of our mouths as easily, leading to bad breath. Bet you didn’t know that!
  9. Water helps keep our urinary tract system healthy. Dehydration slows the flow of urine through the system and allows for toxins and waste to stay in the bladder longer. Moving it through more quickly will reduce the risk of UTI’s. Your pee (another technical word) should be a very light yellow, not dark.
  10. Water helps our joints by keeping them lubricated. Well lubricated joints move freer and are less likely to hurt. If I wake up with stiff knees or ankles in the morning, I think back to my previous day and can usually pinpoint it to being dehydrated. A big glass of water helps tremendously!

 

Calculating the Right Amount of Water

I’m sure you’re asking how much is the right amount of water to drink per day. For years it was suggested that everyone drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water daily, no mater their size. Today individual body weight is taken into consideration and it’s widely suggested that we drink (in ounces of water) 1/2 to 2/3 of our body weight (in pounds). For example, a 130-pound person would multiply 130 x .5 and 130 x .66 and get 65 to 86 ounces of water for the daily goal.

Of course, other considerations also come into play, but this is a basic formula that can be used for a rough estimate of how much water to consume. When outside sweating excessively while exercising, increase water intake by 20-24 ounces of water for every hour of exercise.

In summary, if you feel thirsty or your urine is medium to dark yellow in color, you’re not fully hydrated. I challenge you to keep a water bottle handy so you can sip water throughout the day. Make it your goal to never feel thirsty and to have light yellow pee – I bet you’ll feel better!

 

Questions:
  • • Do you feel that you are good about staying hydrated?
  • • How many ounces of water per day is right for you?
  • • Like me, do you know where every bathroom in every store you shop in is located? 😉