Are you drinking enough water? The answer should be yes since sixty percent of your body is made of water and drinking it should be prioritized over any other beverage, including tea and coffee.
Unfortunately, so many people ignore this fact and substitute it with sweetened stuff like soda and juice. Today, as a reminder, I made you a list of six water benefits along with three tips for making drinking it a lifetime habit.
6 Benefits of Drinking Water
1. Overcoming cravings.
Take it from someone who’s been fasting Ramadan and doing the 23-hour OMAD diet for years; nothing kills cravings better than tea, coffee, and water. Though in Ramadan I fast seven hours less, I often feel hungry during the first few days because of not drinking water.
When you feel hungry, it`s often because your stomach is empty not because you need a specific type of food. According to a research team from A&M Health Science Center, there’s a difference in what you think your body craves and what it needs. You may think you desire that slice of pizza, but often you`ll be surprised at how a bottle of water, a cup of green tea or a grilled chicken breast will make you forget that pizza.
2. Promotes weight loss.
Because it makes you feel full, water can help you lose weight. Studies have recently found that drinking 500ml of water 30 minutes before meals promotes weight loss.
The study conducted by the University of Birmingham found that 12 weeks of drinking water before meals helped overweight adults lose an average of 9.48 pounds compared to the 1.76 pounds lost by their non-drinking peers —that`s a 538 percent increase.
The study also means you can use drinking water as a starting point towards a healthier lifestyle. Instead of going the hard route and dropping all your favorite food off the menu, you can increase your water consumption as a way to encourage yourself to invest more in making yourself physically healthier.
3. Reduces the risk of kidney stones.
Remember that Friends episode when Joey went to the hospital, and the doctor kept mumbling “Kidney Stones” about a dozen times? Drinking enough water may keep you off that route and reduce the risks of kidney stones especially if you live in a warm climate or sweat a lot. Kidney stones are hard minerals and salts crystallized anywhere from your kidney to the bladder. They’re often caused by dehydration or eating food rich in salt.
Kidney stones often come with severe back pain and in some cases and may cause urinary infection which may require surgery. Luckily, drinking water can keep you safe as it dilutes the stones before they harden.
4. Moisturizes your skin.
Is your skin always dry? Then you probably aren’t drinking enough water. As it siphons toxins from your body, water will make your skin clearer, smoother and more glowing with fewer pimples.
Here’s how your skin can look like if you drink nothing but water for a month.
5. Reduces inflammation.
Did you know that drinking water mixed with baking soda can reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms? Wastes from any injured or dead cells are often directed to a group of immune cells called macrophages for an immune response.
According to a 2018 study by the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, two weeks of water + baking soda changes the structure of these cells from pro to anti-inflammatory which helps you stay healthy.
6. It can make you more alert.
Though you can`t compare it to coffee or tea, studies have found that water has a notable “alerting” effect.
“Water increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which raises alertness, blood pressure, and energy expenditure.” Says David Robertson, M.D., from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who co-authored a study on the effect of water on blood pressure.
The findings, according to Robertson, lead to another study by the American Red Cross that found that drinking six ounces of water before donating blood reduces fainting by 20 percent.
So, if you want to substitute tea for a “less yellowing” beverage or the next time you go out running, don`t forget your water bottle.
How to Drink Water More Often
Science says you should drink two liters of water a day or eight 8-ounce glasses. Sounds easy for some and hard for others, but it`s important if you want to reap all the benefits of drinking water. My favorite tips for drinking more water each day are the following:
1. Get a bottle of water whenever you`re out
Every habit needs a trigger, and for drinking water to be a habit, you should link it to a situation, time or place.
My favorite trigger is when I leave my place every morning.
The first thing I do when I`m out is to look for someone to warm up my conversation skills with. And since I fast, and can only drink water, coffee or tea, I hit the nearest deli, grab a bottle of water and have a small talk with the cashier.
2. Fast
Intermittent fasting has so many health benefits. It can also be a way to increase your water consumption because of your limited choices of beverages.
3. Keep a bottle of water and a cup on your desk
Try to put a bar of Snickers on your desk for an entire morning. If you eat it before the end of the day, substitute it with a jar of water and make it a habit.
Photo credit: Canva
Originally published at goodmenproject.com