The need to be well hydrated, i.e. drinking fluids throughout the day is critical with some very real benefits for each and every one of us. The bottom line is drink more water, stay hydrated, and read on to realise the benefits of this simple task.
Of course, depending on the season and where you live, will alter the recommended daily intake of water. Just as age will modify demands, so will the level of exercise, nature of your activities, affect the water demands.
Regardless of age, we all want to look beautiful or handsome. Drinking water helps us to achieve this goal by ensuring our skin retains moisture. This means that water intake will increase the elasticity of our skin and minimise the appearance of wrinkles. Not only will our skin look better overall, it will also help flush toxins out of our body which can alter our complexion. Facial pores will be minimized and your body should be cleared of acne.
As well as improving your outward appearance, being well hydrated works wonders inside your body as well. Let’s consider your blood pressure. Your blood is about 90% water. Therefore, there is a big need to be well hydrated. Less water intake, means less water in your blood stream meaning your blood stream will be thicker and in turn, will increase your blood pressure. Raised blood pressure can cause life threatening conditions, so go drink some more fluids.
For those of us who work with tools or machinery, yes even a sewing machine, we understand the principle of lubrication. Likewise, our body needs to be well hydrated so as to lubricate our joints. By drinking water, we maintain our body cartilage. This is the connective tissue that covers and protects the ends of our bones and the entire joint structures. If we fail to stay hydrated, there will be a breakdown or reduction in our cartilage. This in turn will result in extreme pain and possible damage to our joints.
So you can see there are many health benefits of drinking water. But there are still more reasons to be hydrated that might receive as much attention. If you are working more strenuously or undertaking a more rigorous workout in the gym, you need more fluids to help boost your performance, and help you maintain the higher level of activity. Simply drink more water.
Even your brain is a mass of fluid – 80% water. So, it’s a no-brainer, drink more water so your mind is better able to function more efficiently and effectively. That sounds like a smart thing to do because your will benefit by being smarter all round. There are more pluses. Your concentration will certainly improve along with your cognitive ability. Your mood and emotions will benefit by being better balanced. And wait for it, you will maintain better memory function with a well hydrated brain.
Now I am not encouraging you to drink more water to increase your saliva level for less desirable behaviour, but we all need saliva to help with digesting our food. Good saliva also helps maintain oral hygiene. Without a healthy and fresh saliva, we might create oral problems that cause other health issues. Keep drinking that extra glass of water.
When you come inside after a tough workout, a long run in the sunshine, a long hard work session in the garden, yes, we opt for a shower to wash down and cool off. But drinking water is always the first port of call to cool the body down. This is the most natural and quickest way to bring our body temperature down.
Remember, that if we are sweating, or should I say perspiring, we are losing water from our body through the surface of our skin. Water loss means we need to replenish out water intake. Yes, it is helping us to allow our body to cool down but we must keep a good balance between water loss and water replacement.
Can there be any other benefits from drinking water you wonder? Yes, there are. Before your sit down to a big meal, drink a small or medium glass of water. That is enough to make your stomach a little fuller before your start eating. But there enough fluid to cause you to feel fuller sooner, and perhaps eat less. And always drink water, more readily than commercially made fruit juices or soda drinks. Those are rich in calories while water has no calories. So, you can drink all you like.
Your digestive system also requires water for a healthy digestive system. Stay hydrated to avoid digestive problems or even constipation. A healthy fluid intake will also help balance stomach acids and minimize irritation in that region. Remember, minerals and nutrients need to be dissolved in water to be accessible within and throughout your body. Otherwise, the goodness contained will not be accessible within the body.
Dehydration can also mean less body fluid overall. This could be realised with very dry airways. This in turn could aggravate symptoms associated with allergies or breathing conditions. Also in the upper torso, headaches can arise. Being well hydrated can also be a way to better manage and control headache occurrence.
