The Wonderful Health and Weight Loss Properties of Water

When dieting, it's easy to become so pre-occupied with what we're eating that we forget to think about the importance of  staying hydrated. Many of us replace water with coffee, soft drinks and juices - or simply neglect to consume any liquid during the course of the day. In this post I will discuss all the various health and beauty benefits associated with drinking water, as well as water's essential role in helping to burn fat.

How much water should you be drinking daily?

You need to drink at least 8 glasses (250ml) / 4 bottles (500ml) of water a day. This is a minimum and you should in fact aim higher - the more water the better! It is almost impossible to 'over-hydrate.' If you are exercising during the day, it becomes even more crucial to raise this amount to re-hydrate after sweating during the exercise. Equally if you are drinking alcohol, it is very important to increase your water intake. Alcohol causes your kidneys to reabsorb less water into your blood-stream than they would normally, creating a risk of dehydration.

How is water so good for you?

Beauty Benefits

• Glowing skin - Increasing your water intake can improve the quality of your skin in as little as a week. Water helps to get rid of greasy deposits such as black heads as well as giving moisture to dry skin. You can enjoy beautiful skin without the constant need for spot creams, moisturiser, and foundation! 

Weight Loss and Dieting

• Preventing hunger - water, particularly hot water, fills you up. Sometimes when we experience hunger it is actually a physiological response to dehydration. When you feel hungry, try to drink a glass of water and reconsider how you feel in 20 minutes. If you still feel hungry then you should naturally find yourself something to eat. However, often you will find that the sensation of hunger disappears shortly after drinking the glass of water.
• Metabolism boost - water, particularly cold water, boosts your metabolism by as much as 30%, raising your resting calorie burn rate significantly. If your diet relies on restricting your net calorie allowance, why not profit from this easy way of burning more, even while sitting behind an office desk?
• Convert more stored fat to energy - converting stored fat to energy is the job of your liver. However, if your kidneys are dehydrated, the liver's primary function becomes helping out the kidneys with toxin filtration, rather than converting fat as we would like it to! Drinking more water helps ensure that the kidneys are capable of fulfilling their duties without assistance.
• Prevents constipation - drinking water helps to avoid constipation which is not only uncomfortable but can also impede weight loss. 

Other Health Benefits

• Lowered risk of heart attacks - Drinking at least 5 glasses of water a day can lower your risk of heart disease and heart attacks by as much as 40%.  
• Lowered cancer risk - proper hydration has been shown to lower the risk of bowel and colon cancers by up to 50%.
• Toxin cleansing - water helps your kidneys and liver filter toxins out of your body. This greatly helps to prevent painful kidney stones and maintain a healthy liver. This is particularly important for those who consume alcohol regularly.
• Prevents headaches - many migraines and painful headaches occur due to dehydration causing blood vessels in the brain to expand. Drinking plenty of water helps to avoid this.
• Improves brain performance - your brain needs oxygen to function and drinking the correct amount of water ensures that the necessary oxygen can be delivered to your brain cells.
• Battles daytime fatigue - feeling drowsy? Have a glass of cold water!
• Greatly improves muscle performance and recovery - your muscles become weak and do not recover properly if a proper balance of fluid and electrolytes is not maintained. Drinking more water can ensure that your hard work at the gym does not go to waste!

How can you increase your water intake and make it habitual?

• Drink a 250ml glass of water within 20 minutes of getting up in the morning. Fill a glass of water before going to sleep and put it on your bed stand so you will remember to drink it when you wake up. This will kick start your metabolism and help you control your food intake at breakfast.
• Drink a glass of water 20 minutes before each meal and another glass with your meal.
• Always keep a full 500ml bottle of water in your bag with you wherever you go. The moment it is empty, make a point to refill it.
• If you are working at home or in an office, keep a 2 litre bottle of water in plain sight on your desk and make a point of draining it before you finish for the day.
• In a small notebook, record the number of glasses/bottles of water you have consumed that day. Set yourself a target of at least 2 litres a day and increase this with time.
• Just before you go to sleep, drink a glass of water. Keep a bottle of water on your bed stand so you can drink if you wake during the night without having to get up.