Research suggests that over 75% of Americans are going about their daily lives in a state of dehydration. This is most notoriously caused by the fact that water consumption has been replaced by soda, coffee, and other sugary beverages.
It is a common misconception to think that since coffee and soda are liquids then by their very nature they assist in rehydrating your body and keeping your body up to date with its water needs. In actuality the body needs to use extra water to break these fluids down and thus your body ends up losing water in the process!
For more on the soda and coffee dehydration factor see the 8 Common Myths About Dehydration page on Care2.com.
The Benefits of Drinking Water
“Water is the driving force of all nature.” -Leonardo da Vinci
So why is water important to your health and well being? Why you should you start drinking more water right away? You know that you are probably not drinking enough water per day and you are probably extremely curious as to why you should actually be drinking more. Keeping your body hydrated has quite a few amazing benefits including:
- Weight loss. I will discuss this more further on down this article, but adding water to your diet is the #1 best way to begin any weight loss journey.
- Water helps to keep you energized and awake. One of the first signs of dehydration is tiredness and sluggishness so drinking extra water right away is key to increased productivity.
- Fighting a cold or bad allergies? Water reduces congestion and can help to keep your airways moist and clear.
- Water is food for the brain (or should I say liquid for the brain?). Water can help you to stay focused and keep working on the tasks at hand with clear determination.
- Water helps to maintain normal bowel function. This is especially true when starting a high fiber diet as water can serve to alleviate the IBS related symptoms that could occur if you eat too much fiber too fast!
Quick and Easy ways to Add Water to Your Diet
1) Plain drinking water is the #1 best way to immediately start the rehydration process.
2) You can also add a lemon or a lime to your water to give it flavor, and to be able to reap other health benefits from adding these fruits to your water. I start each and every day with a huge glass of lemon water and I feel great because of it!
3) Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is a great way to add extra water to your diet. According to the University of Kentucky the water content of an apple is 84%, a banana is 74% and broccoli is 91%. Water is in pretty much everything we eat, but fruits and veggies give us the biggest bang for our buck as far as foods go.
4) Get a good water bottle to bring around with you wherever you go. Use it to keep drinking water by your side at all times
5) Buy and use a Brita filter. Nasty tasting tap water? No problem! Get a Brita filter and then have cool and clean water right at your fingertips.
6) Replace the soda or juice you might normally drink at meal times with a glass of water . You can even use a sweetener like Mio to add some extra flavor if you want.
7) Water flushes toxins from your body. This occurs because the kidneys are better able to remove toxins and other junk from your system when you are properly hydrated. Reduce water intake and certain toxins might stick around for far too long.
The important thing here is to make Small Changes and stick with them. At first, you are going to see very little difference if you are only implementing one or two of the above changes. It takes a consistent approach to make a big difference in the long run. However, it is a good idea to make short term goals and be able to meet and exceed your own expectations!
Drinking Water To Lose Weight
Water is a key weight loss factor, if not the absolute best dietary modification to make. Adding water to your diet will curb hunger, speed up your metabolism, and keep your body hydrated and better able to break down food. Water is natures best kept secret, except it shouldn’t be a secret at all! Slowly start to drink more water throughout the day to reap the benefits, and to start out your weight loss journey with a bang.
How Much Water Should I Drink Per Day?
There are several ways to determine how much water you need to get per day:
- The first and most straightforward is to take the approach recommended by The Institute of Medicine. If you are an adult male you should be getting about 13 cups of water per day (3 liters). If you are an adult female you need to get 9 cups of water per day.
- The second and more complicated approach (but better in my opinion than the first) is to take your total weight and divide it by two to determine how many ounces of water you should get per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you will need to drink 75 ounces of water per day. This method makes more sense because it is depends on your weight. It doesn’t make much sense for a 300 pound male to drink the same amount of water as a 100 pound male, and this method solves that dilemma.
- The third and final way to determine how much water you need to be drinking per day is to just drink more water. This is the simplest method and yet it is the most effective! Most of us don’t plan on tracking our exact water intake each day and trying to do so can become a cumbersome task. Just drink more water each day, and keep drinking! It takes a lot of water consumption to be drinking too much, and honestly it is better for our bodies to trend toward too much than too little!
Water Nutrition Facts/Water Fun Facts
- Water has 0 calories.
- Water has no sugar, no fat, no sodium, no nothing, except pure awesomeness.
- Water might well be the only thing in the world that has a label with scores of 0 across the board but yet is the best possible thing for humans to consume.
- Our bodies are made up of over 55-60% water
- Water consumption is key to any fitness routine or diet.
- Approximately 400 billion gallons of water are used in the United States per day.
- A jellyfish and a cucumber are each 95% water.
Final Thoughts on Why Water is Important For Your Overall Well-Being
Upping your water intake is crucial if you are going to take strides in living a healthier life. Water is of major importance in your overall health, your weight loss goals, and your ability to function as a human being. The next time you feel tired, drink a glass of water. The next time you feel so hungry you could eat a cow, drink a glass of water first and then eat your meal.
Focus on water and you won’t regret it. It will be the single most important change you will ever make in your life!
Do you feel the same way about water? Are you as obsessed with it as I am? Let me know in the comments below!
Have a great day!
-Jordan
I have to admit that I was slurping a Sprite as I read this, but immediately got up and drank a huge glass of water afterwatds! The tip about dividing your body weight in half and drinking that many ounces of water a day is very helpful.
I definitely am in a constant struggle to drink enough water throughout the day! However, making small changes is the best way to go I think! It is now a habit for me to drink water every morning, and I am trying to make a habit out of drinking water before every meal as well. It definitely takes time to get it right! 🙂
Yes, I’ve done that before as well, and it really does help with weight loss. This article inspired me to get back to having a big glass of water each morning BEFORE my coffee, lol, at mealtimes, and before bed. Thanks for another well-researched article!