Water. Free and accessible but not widely consumed.
Water is so important in our daily lives and benefits us in the moment as well as in the future. It is recommended by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that women should drink 2.7 litres of water a day and men should drink 3.7 litres of water a day. Let's be honest, there are probably quite a few of us who are reading this statistic and thinking "I don't drink that much water." But should we start drinking this much water?
Throughout the month of May I have been drinking 3 litres of water every single day and I can say I have noticed some benefits in consuming this much water such as: feeling more hydrated, feeling less hungry, able to concentrate for longer, more mindful of what I am drinking and my skin looking clearer. Don't just take my word for it though! Below are 10 benefits of drinking more water that will hopefully encourage you to try and drink more.
Benefits of Drinking Water:
1) May Improve your Memory and Mood - when you're dehydrated you can feel fatigued and tired. By drinking more water you will hopefully reduce this feeling and feel more energised and awake.
2) May Reduce Sugar Cravings and Aid Weight Maintenance - you may have heard before to drink water when you're hungry. This is because your body can't tell whether you're hungry or if you're thirsty. Another good tip is to drink water before a meal so that you feel more full and are not consuming as much food.
3) May Improve Exercise Performance - research has been carried out to see the effects of hydration and dehydration on athletes. The results show that dehydration affects both sports performance and psychological functions therefore suggesting that drinking water will improve sports performance.
4) May Reduce Headaches and Migraines - have you ever had a headache and you drink some water and feel better? This is a likely sign that you were dehydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches and migraines therefore it is important to consume water to prevent these problems.
5) May Help Manage Anxiety - dehydration has an impact on both your brain and your body. If you're slightly dehydrated it can cause a negative impact on your energy levels and mood therefore meaning your anxiety levels could be heightened.
6) Boosts Skin Health - when dehydrated, this could make the skin more prone to skin disorders and premature wrinkling. So drinking more water will make your skin feel more youthful and fresh.
7) Moisten's the Joints - if you're a keen runner or you like to take part in high impact sports then this benefit is for you! By drinking more water, you are moistening the cartilage in your joints and the disks in your spine therefore preventing injuries. Our cartilage and disks are made up of 80% water so by not drinking more water, you are reducing the ability of shock absorption in these elements of your body.
8) Hygiene for Mouth, Nose and Eyes - drinking more water keeps the different senses clean and moist to prevent dryness.
9) Helps Us Breath - our blood is made up of 90% water therefore by drinking more water, more oxygen is being circulated around our bodies.
10) Looks After the Brain - dehydration can affect the structure of our brain and damage our way of thinking and reasoning. By drinking more water we are hydrating our brain to make more reasonable and thought out decisions throughout the day.
Tracking Your Water Consumption:
To help you stay on track with your water goal and to consume more water I have included below some tips and tricks on how to track your water consumption.
- Find a water tracker wallpaper for your phone so that every time you open your phone you are reminded to drink more water. I have created a water tracker that you can download here along with a water quote wallpaper that you download here to keep you on track.
- If you use a diary or planner, add a section in your paper organiser that allows you to colour in your progress like a timeline. Seeing the progress you have made throughout the day will motivate you to keep going!
- Using a water tracker app. I use a free app called My Water and I can set my water goal and add my consumption throughout the day. The background when adding your consumption is a glass filling up and so once you reach your end goal the glass is full
I hope you have found this post useful. With it being the end of the May and June just around the corner, why not set yourself the goal of drinking more water throughout June? Let me know in the comments if you have found this post helpful and what you would like to see next :)
Resources for Information:
Statistics for Water Consumption and Water Consumption Calculator, click here
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