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We’ve all heard countless times that we must drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to maintain adequate hydration. But before even getting to the question of how much water you really should be drinking, why is staying properly hydrated so important? I mean yes, we all know our bodies are made up of 50-60% water depending on our sex and age- so naturally we know that striving to keep it that way will allow our bodily functions to continue to operate. But here we are speaking about the bare minimum intake of water in order to survive- staying hydrated does not equal survival; it means a lot more!
What most people imagine when thinking about dehydration is some kind of extreme condition. Maybe a person stranded in a desert somewhere, in extremely hot temperature, and not having had a sip of water for over 24 hours. This is a form of severe dehydration. In reality, mild and moderate dehydration are actually rather common. In the United States alone about 75% of the population is in a chronic state of dehydration without even knowing it!
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Mild Dehydration
Mild dehydration as defined by the British Journal of Nutrition is the “loss of 1-2% of body weight due to fluid loss.” So what does that exactly mean? Well if you think that you only start to feel thirsty by the time you reach 2-3% loss, this means by the time you start feeling thirsty, you are actually already dehydrated.
I remember feeling so surprised when first having discovered this. I used to only drink when I would start to feel thirsty. But it only makes sense if you think about it; thirst is obviously a symptom for something that is lacking. And just think, fatigue, headaches, and reduced mental performance surface at around 1%, way before you even receive a stimulus for thirst. This means you are probably unknowingly going about your day with insufficient energy and not living up to the truest of your capabilities.
When having discovered all this I realized I definitely needed to change my water intake. I too was someone who did not get anywhere close to 2 liters of water a day. The following 7 health benefits of adequate hydration finally convinced me to make water intake a priority.
Benefits of Drinking Water for your Overall Health
1. It Boosts your Metabolism
There have been many studies conducted demonstrating that on average individuals who consume more water have a faster metabolism than those who consume less water. The following study by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that by drinking a mere additional 500ml of water, metabolic rate in both men and women rises by 30%. By increasing water consumption by 1.5 liters, energy expenditure increases by approximately 50 calories a day– not much, but if you get to the 2-3 liters actually recommended a day, I guarantee it makes a difference!
So why is this? Well given what we said in the beginning, our muscles are made up of 70% water. When we go into a state of dehydration our muscles can’t perform at their optimal level. As a consequence, we are not able to generate as much energy as opposed to when we are suitably hydrated. In fact, metabolism can slow down by as much as 3 % when dehydrated! For more on metabolism check out my post 6 Habits that are Destroying your Metabolism.
2. It Helps Prevent and Alleviate Headaches
Have you ever had a dehydration headache? Most probably 70% of your headaches stem from dehydration. It feels like your head is throbbing and movement or bending over tends to aggravate the pain. Scientifically, it is not certain what the exact cause of the pain is. Some argue that the less blood volume circulating as a cause of dehydration leads to less oxygen and thus dilated blood vessels causing pressure. Others say the brain physically contracts in size and distances itself from the skull causing pain. Whatever the case, it is a known fact that water insufficiency can lead to migraines. The next time you head for the Advil, try sipping from your water bottle instead.
3. It Helps Regular Bowel Movements
This point ladies, as embarrassing as it might be a topic to talk about, is actually what most changed when I first started drinking regularly. I have always struggled with irregular bowel movements. I never really made much of it as I didn’t seem to experience discomfort, bloating, or any other symptom. But after an episode where I was forced to turn to laxatives I started to analyze what a healthy intestine meant to me.
I started thinking of what it means to have all those toxins sitting in there waiting to be expelled. I know this is gross, but that’s exactly the point! How gross is it that it’s all just sitting in there. I thought the more frequently I’m able to “flush” things out (no pun intended), the more healthy I will feel… and I was right. I became regular, and I discovered that I actually had been bloated the entire time.
So how does water accomplish this? The large intestines uses up a lot of water to form stool. If there is not enough water there to begin with, stool will form hard, making it difficult and slower to pass. By drinking more water, stool becomes softer and more voluminous allowing easier, faster, and more frequent bowel movements.
4. It Helps Prevent Fatigue
Do you often feel sluggish, like your mind and body are moving in slow-motion? I know the feeling, and aside from getting adequate sleep and exercise, a major reason for fatigue is improper hydration. Since water is the most important source for the body, if there is not enough of it, all of your body processes will slow down and cause fatigue. In addition, due to the lower blood volume circulating, the heart actually needs to work harder to pump blood and deliver oxygen to all the different organs in the body. This results in tiredness. Next time you feel tired, try drinking some water instead of napping- as much as napping can be great!
Benefits of Drinking Water for Weight Loss
5. It Helps you Burn Fat
One of the main goals of weight loss is in essence fat loss- I mean duh, who wants to lose muscle right? Well in order to burn fat, your liver, kidneys and fat-burning hormones need to be operating at an optimal level. When you are dehydrated, your kidneys are not able to perform all of their functions and as a result pass some of the work on to the liver. The liver at this point (which is responsible for metabolizing stored fat into energy) is overworked and can’t process body fat as efficiently. In addition, the many hormones that help with fat loss perform their job by being circulated throughout the blood stream. In a state of dehydration, we have less blood volume which in turn inhibits our hormones to travel as quickly and as efficiently possible in order to process fat.
6. It Helps you Feel Less Hungry
Aside from the fact that drinking water helps you feel fuller longer after your meals, often times we mistake the need for water as the need for food. Because our body doesn’t distinguish between hunger and thirst, at times, if our stomach is rumbling it may just need some water. Before resorting to food try drinking a bit next time. If your stomach still seems to rumble after 15 minutes, then go get a snack.
Benefits of Drinking Water for Skin
7. It is Naturally Anti-Aging
I unfortunately have always looked a lot older than my actual age. When I was 21, people thought I was 30. Now that I’m 28, people think I’m 32….so the trend is slowing down. I’m hoping when I’m 32, I’ll look 32 and when I’m 50 I’ll look like I’m 40 and it all reverses :D! Anyway one of the reasons I believe I may look older is that I have a lot of extra skin. In fact, I’ve been told that I look like a pug when I’m pinched. When I smile I get like five cheeks and 4 chins- but these are not wrinkles thank god…. at least not YET. As of now it is just extra skin that scrunches up, but if I’m not diligent, this constant crumpling will eventually lead to major wrinkles.
A major cause of wrinkles is the loss of skin elasticity. As teenagers our skin is extremely elastic on its own, but as we age we lose this elasticity. Collagen, the connective tissue of the skin responsible for elasticity, is mainly composed of water. If on top of naturally losing elasticity our collagen becomes dehydrated, fine lines and wrinkles will form much more easily! If we stay hydrated, the formation of wrinkles will form over much more time.
What About Clear Skin and Acne?
Keeping your skin hydrated also helps keep acne at bay. I have suffered with acne all of my life. I spent most of my teenage years on antibiotics and when I moved to Italy I actually underwent two rounds of Accutane. Granted that Accutane was most likely 90% responsible for my current clear skin, I have to say that drinking water did its part as well. Keeping your skin hydrated allows for fewer dead skin cells to build up on the surface. Dead skin that is not removed will clog pores and in the end cause acne. (My problem on the other hand was that my dehydrated skin was actually telling my body to produce more oil, which mixed with dead skin cells made the perfect cocktail for zit heaven).
If you keep in my mind drinking lots of water as part of your daily skin care routine I guarantee that you will start to see glowing skin in no time; it’s one of the main benefits of drinking water for skin!
How to Drink More Water and Change your Habits
Developing a new habit can take more than a month. So start gradually. It’s okay if you start with just a small water bottle a day. The important thing is that you remain consistent. After you are able to master a small water bottle, give it time and when you feel ready try working towards a bigger bottle.
What I did was buy myself a water jug that I really liked and made it a sort of game/challenge for me. Jugs are super popular in the States, however they aren’t at all here in Europe. I always get questions. What is that? It’s so big! And I love it! It’s my challenge with myself to finish it every day. Of course that doesn’t always happen, but no biggie! As long as I do my best, that is what counts……and guess what? I guarantee you will feel it! You will see a glow to your skin and you will start to feel in general more healthy. Oh and guess what, get ready to start sweating a lot more! For more on how much you should be sweating check out my post What is your Sweat Telling you?
Happy Hydration!
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Giulia Faison says
Well written and humorous!
Very true that most of us live in a state of chronic dehydration- especially in this busy world where we are running around doing a million things, drinking water does not seem to be a priority and gets substituted with coffee!
Linda says
Thanks! Yes, you are absolutely right!