Week 2: Drink more water
Be water my friend!
Why is drinking water a big deal for your health?
Water is a bigger deal then most of us think. Often we don’t make drinking water a priority throughout our daily life and we should
Not only is your body weight made up of mostly water, but there are other important factors to take into consideration for your well-being.
Water impacts your health in so many different ways which is what we are going to talk about today.
Grab a glass of water and read on to learn five reasons it is important for you to drink up more water to feel better, refreshed, and to reap those extra benefits of being hydrated.
Lubrication
Drinking water helps to lubricate, protect, and cushions your joints, spinal cord and tissues. By doing that it will help you enjoy exercise without getting pain and discomfort in your legs, ankles, shoulders, and arms. This can also lessen the discomfort from conditions such as arthritis.
Eliminates Toxins
Your body needs to eliminate toxins in order to properly function and it does this through sweat, urine, and bowel movements. Your body needs to regulate its body temperature and it does that by sweating when the body is too hot. Therefore, you need to replenish lost water. Your body needs enough water so the kidneys can filter out any unnecessary waste. And lastly, you need enough water in your body to avoid constipation.
Elevates Your Mood
Dehydration can make anyone feel anxious, fatigued, and confused. A recent study found that the greater the water consumption = better mood. People that drink enough water daily often experience better sleep and positive feelings throughout the day and night according to this study. Drink an extra glass or two a day to keep the bad mood away.
Aids in Weight Loss
Drinking more water along with exercise and a well-balanced diet can aid in weight loss and improved body composition.
Keeps You Regular in the Bathroom
Fiber is not the only important essential when it comes to staying regular. Water is also important in helping keep your poop moist and help your bowel movements moving throughout your body so you get rid of that waste. It is common to experience constipation if you don’t drink enough water, fiber, or magnesium. To help get rid of constipation, it has been scientifically proven that carbonated water such as vichy can help with that.
There are more than five reasons to drink water, but we found these to be important reasons to drink more water on a daily basis.
Are you tired of hearing that you need to drink more water? Maybe you drink enough already. Then again, maybe you don’t.
How much water do you need daily?
You’ve heard that you need at least 2 litres of water per day. That’s a general recommendation to stay hydrated but you actually need more than that per day. However, the fluids you need come from other food and beverages beyond just water.
You may need more or less than eight glasses of water a day. It depends on the following factors:
If you live in a hot or very humid region, you’ll sweat more, which means you need more fluids.
If you’re an active individual, you’ll sweat more and need extra fluid to cover the loss of water and replace electrolytes, or minerals, in your blood.
If you’re ill from a dehydrating fever or infection, you’ll need to ingest more fluids.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you need more fluid per day.
Is water the only way to stay hydrated?
Not exactly, a big part of our water consumption can come from other foods and drinks. The following items have high water content:
Sparkling water contains 100 percent water
Cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery and zucchini contain over 90 percent water
Watermelon, strawberries and cantaloupe all contain over 90 percent water
Broths and soups contain over 90 percent water
Cow and vegetable milks contains over 90 percent water
Plain yogurt has over 80 percent water
Grapefruit has over 80 percent water
Are sports drinks water?
Sports drinks are best when you use them after intense exercise that lasts over an hour. This kind of fluid replaces lost electrolytes and sugar, but it doesn’t count as part of your daily water intake.
However, never use an energy drink as part of your water intake. Energy drinks contain huge amounts of caffeine, sugar and other additives, including stimulants. The same goes for fruit juice, another drink loaded with sugars.
A natural alternative to common electrolyte drinks is a mix of lemon juice, salt and honey or agave nectar. Here is asimple recipe!
1 ½-2 cups water.
Juice of ½ lemon.
1/8 to 1/4 tsp real sea salt Himalayan salt , or Celtic sea salt.
2 tsp raw honey local if possible,
You’re probably taking in enough liquids to stay safely hydrated if you’re rarely thirsty and your urine is light yellow or almost colorless. Dark yellow urine can mean you’re dehydrated though. Use the chart below as a guide.
On a side note...
Is Plastic Leaking Into Your Bottled Water?
The answer is yes and this may something that not a lot of you may not be aware of or thought about while you are drinking nice cold bottled water that you bought at the gas station.
Yes, bottled water can be a great convenience and is a readily accessible option when it comes to drinking water. It can get you out of a pinch when you are thirsty. But… do you really want to be drinking water that may be contaminated?
And not only are you drinking contaminated water, but you are polluting the environment with every water bottle you drink.
Here is what some recent studies have discovered about is there plastic in your bottled water.
Recent Studies Have Revealed…
Orb Media reported at the end of 2017 that 93% of bottled water showed signs of contamination from microplastics. Yuck, if you ask me. They also reported that a single liter of bottled water can contain thousands of microplastic particles.
And the question now is what can contamination do to your body? Although, this information is still unknown and current studies are being conducted. We will have to stay tuned for the published findings.
Water Bottles Are Not Eco-Friendly
In case you have missed this news that water bottles aren’t friendly for the environment.
Tons and tons of pounds of plastic are found in the ocean each year. Therefore, impacting the marine ecosystem that is not so healthy and definitely won’t exist in due time.
Here are three numbers to think about the next time you want to drink bottled water...
Approximately, 1500 plastic water bottles are used every second in the United States alone.
Currently, it is estimated that in the world’s oceans fish outnumber plastic particles by 5:1 (by weight).
By 2050 plastic particles will outnumber fish in the ocean.
Think again before you grab that next water bottle.
Save the Environment with an Eco-Friendly, Reusable Water Bottle
Instead of buying yet again another disposable water bottle purchase a good quality reusable water bottle.
Not only is it eco-friendly, but it will save a ton of money in the long run. Take your water bottle with you anywhere you decide to go.
You can always add some ice to your water if you prefer to drink cold water or add some fruit to infuse your water. Just remember to fill it up at home, at the gym, or at the airport for your next water break.