Being a lover of water myself, I have often wondered why some people find it so hard to drink water. Many people go through their daily lives consuming very little water and yet spend a fortune purchasing soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, caffeinated drinks, sodas, teas and sugar sweetened drinks to quench their thirst. How ironic! I assure you that what good old fashioned water could do for you, none of these fancy beverages can.
Water is not only good for making one pee frequently throughout the day as some might think (though I honestly don't think that is such a bad thing, as long as there is a rest room around!), water is good for many more reasons.
The benefits of water to the skin
Water slows down the aging process of your organs, especially the skin. Many of us wonder why our skin is always looking so dry, cracked and parched like a thirsty desert or worse, like the skin of a crocodile and we spend a fortune on expensive moisturizers, when all we need to do is to increase our water intake. Only water can effectively hydrate your skin from the inside out. Topical moisturizers, though good, can only do this outside in. Drinking adequate amount of water protects the skin and scalp from dryness, dandruff, flakiness and wrinkles, giving it a younger, softer and glowing look. Water does this by boosting the collagen and elastin production, which are the two major instruments of a toned and youthful skin. Water helps in moving essential nutrients and oxygen to the skin cells, thus rejuvenating the cells.
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The benefits of water on the digestive system
For some, drinking water first thing in the morning feels like a punishment (I assure you that your body does not agree with you!). Your body needs this water to kick start your digestive system. This water keeps things going smoothly down there, eliminating waste and harmful toxins, cleaning out the colon and siding digestion. On the other hand, not consuming ample amount of water daily, can lead to constipation, frequent urinary tract infections and even skin conditions such as acne and eczema. How? When the water level in the body is low, automatically urine production and bowel movements is reduced and the ability of the body to remove toxins is seriously hindered. The water soluble toxins are then eliminated through the skin, which ages the skin by causing acne and an aggravated eczema. So the difference between having a quick, no sweat waste elimination experience or a push-hard, groan and wait, can be dependent on the amount of water you are consuming.
The benefits of water on the circulatory system
Here's another reason to drink water first thing in the morning and last thing before going to bed at night. Studies indicate that heart attack and stroke usually happens in the wee hours of the morning, so drinking at least a glass of water before going to bed at night and in the early hours of the morning lowers your blood pressure and keeps your blood from clotting.
The benefits of water to the brain and mind
Most times, when you are mentally fatigued and physically tired, moody, stressed, having a dull ache on the side of your head, and confused, it might not be as a result of your having a bad day but could be your body telling you you are dehydrated. Soft drinks, energy drinks and sodas can't keep the body hydrated and the 'refreshed' feeling we get when we consume these drinks are deceptive. They give us a short burst of energy which quickly comes crashing down. They usually contain diuretics such as caffeine which impedes rather than aids hydration, making us crave for even more caffeine and sugar. Symptoms of dehydration are headaches, confusion, fatigue, reduced skin elasticity and reduced urine production. In severe cases, the person might have to be admitted to the hospital. Many people wait until they feel thirsty before they drink water, but by then, their body might already be dehydrated. People who are over sixty(60) years old in age, tend to suffer from severe dehydration because their body's sensitivity to its need for water is reduced and so even though they might not feel thirsty, their body might already be showing signs of severe and sometimes, life threatening dehydration. One quick way of knowing if a person is dehydrated is by pinching or pulling on the skin slightly. If the skin relaxes back to its normal position, the person is not dehydrated but if the skin stays up and does not relax into a normal position, it means the individual is severely dehydrated and needs to be under intensive care.
The benefits of water to weight loss
Another great benefit of drinking ample amount of water that most ladies would be interested in, is that it aids in weight loss. It does this by boosting your body's metabolism to work quicker and burn calories faster, resulting in weight loss. Another major way water achieves this benefit is by making you feel full faster. Many of us do not even realize we are full until we drink water. To achieve maximum results in your weight loss plan, try to drink at least a glass of water, thirty minutes before a meal.
Water should not only be consumed during and after a meal or when you feel thirsty. You should always carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go and sip on it, not gulp it down hurriedly, throughout the day. A person with Sickle Cell Anemia should consume not less than five (5)litres of water every day to ensure their cells stay hydrated and to prevent a crisis. Unlike your sweetened drinks that are packed with sugar and artificial flavors that do more harm than good, water is just all natural with no flavors, no sweetners and no additives. Tell me, isn't that just great?
So keep a bottle of water with you at all times and let this, good old water, be your new companion.
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