Drink Up: Benefits of Staying Hydrated

Your weight loss goal’s best friend

No need to order delivery meals with portioned calories to trim your waistline. If you want to up your game in the weight loss department, then make sure you meet your body’s hydration requirements – and that includes drinking water.

This is because water increases satiety or the feeling of fullness, which explains why you should drink a full glass before meals. It also boosts your metabolic rate, which helps in weight loss^[1].

Keep things moving in your stomach

Are you having a hard time letting go inside the bathroom? Perhaps, you only had five glasses of water, which is not enough to ensure smooth flow in your digestive system. In your large intestine, water and fibre join forces to increase the bulk of your stools. This leads to reduction in travel time and makes bowel movement easier.

Prevent and treat headache

Did you know that dehydration triggers headaches and even migraines^[2] in some people? In case you feel like your head is exploding, a glass or two of cold water could do the trick to relieve the symptoms. It could be your body’s way of saying that you are dehydrated and you need to replenish the lost liquid inside your body to be able to function properly.

Helps maximize your physical performance

Try this: during a workout, try your best not to reach out for a glass of water. How do you feel? The truth is lack of water during workout could put your physical performance in a bad light. This is because when you sweat, your body temperature is altered and you lose your body’s water content. This leads to fatigue, exhaustion, reduced motivation, and dehydration, thereby makes exercise extra difficult both physically and mentally.

In other words, if you want optimum physical performance, don’t forget to bring a water bottle with you to keep you hydrated.

A simple but effective mood booster

Are you feeling down or depressed lately? Perhaps a glass of ice-cold water could help kiss your blues away. It turns out that drinking water, especially the cold ones that came straight from the freezer, makes you feel refreshed and improves your state of mind. It also keeps you alert especially in instances where you need to concentrate, which means you could think more clearly. It’s much cheaper and way healthier too.

Keep your kidneys working properly

Kidneys balance fluids in your body and control your blood pressure. However, the primary role of this crucial organ is to help you say goodbye to wastes inside your body. To make sure your kidney is in tiptop shape, make sure you drink at least six to eight glasses of water everyday. In doing so, your body is able to increase urine volume passing through your kidneys and dilute the concentration of minerals to minimize the risk of clump formation.

Reduce your hangover after last night’s party

A party, at least the adult ones, will never be complete without booze in it. The problem is when you had too much, it could make you a bit dysfunctional the following day. Your quick solution to an “about last night” situation: water. It helps replenish the water you lost from drinking alcohol, a known diuretic, thereby minimizing headache, thirst, and dry mouth.

It could be your first line of defense against cancer

Cancer is among the top killers in the world, with 1.6 million estimated new cases in 2015^[3]. Did you know that you could reduce your risk, particularly bladder cancer by drinking water? Drinking water makes you pee more, thereby preventing the buildup of bladder carcinogens. However, it’s not just bladder cancer. It could reduce your risk of breast cancer and colon cancer^[4] too.

So, are you ready to drink at least six to eight glasses of water everyday?