Water You Waiting For – Health Benefits of Hydration

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There is no more vital substance on this planet than water. In fact, approximately 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Our bodies are 60 percent water and our blood is 90 percent water. No question about it, we need water to stay alive and for our bodies to function properly. 

So, how much water should we drink each day? This depends on the individual and how active he or she is. While many people believe the standard amount should be around eight cups per day, recent findings suggest that men should drink around 15.5 cups while women should drink around 11 cups.

If that sounds overwhelming, you’re not alone. Stay tuned for some tips and tricks to stay hydrated as well as just how beneficial sufficient water intake really is to your body and your life.

Drink Up

Keeping your body hydrated throughout the day is not as difficult as it may seem. You can develop a number of good habits to implement into your daily routine. These include:

  • Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning when you wake up or while brewing your morning coffee or tea
  • Add some flavor to your water like a splash of lemon or lime juice. You can also add cucumber, strawberries and lemon slices
  • Eat your water – lots of foods have a high water content such as watermelon, cucumber, strawberries and spinach
  • Carry a water bottle with you and refill it. This is also more economical and environmentally friendly than buying and consuming several bottles of water daily
  • Drink a glass of water before each meal. This will fill your stomach and keep you from overeating
  • Use a water intake app on your smartphone which will track the amount of water you drink and send you reminders 

Pick the tips that work best for your schedule and you are well on your way to better hydration.

Dehydration

When you lose more water than you take in, this quickly leads to dehydration. Unfortunately, according to statistics, around 75 percent of humans suffer from chronic dehydration.

If you feel thirsty, this is a sign that your body is already dehydrated. Just 1 to 2 percent of water loss can result in symptoms of dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration vary among individuals and include fatigue, headache, dry mouth and muscle cramps. Other signs include dark urine, rapid heartbeat, dizziness and in extreme cases, unconsciousness.

Dehydration is a potentially severe condition. Complications such as urinary tract and kidney issues can occur and even lead to kidney failure since your body is unable to properly eliminate waste and toxins.

You can even experience seizures and unconsciousness due to a lack of essential electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. These health hazards underscore the urgent need to maintain sufficient hydration in your body.

Health Benefits

Now that you know the risks of not drinking sufficient amounts of water, you need to know the numerous benefits of water as well. These include: 

  • Better skin and reduced wrinkles
  • Joint lubrication
  • Better delivery of oxygen throughout your body
  • Flushes body waste
  • More efficient digestion
  • Better exercise performance

Drinking water can also help you lose weight. Weight loss leads to lower risk of chronic illnesses, longer lifespans, and improved quality of life. Thus, in addition to a well-balanced diet and exercise, drink up to shed those extra pounds.

It’s such a simple element of nature and yet extremely powerful. Water can improve the quality of your life like no other substance can. For this reason, it is often easy to ignore. Don’t make this mistake.

As you incorporate small habit changes involving water into your life, your body will thank you.

What you don’t know can hurt your health! Click here to learn about another very important nutrient for your body.

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