Ok, so I have been thinking about this drinking a whole "ocean" of water every day. Just what does it do for us? How good is it really? Why do we need a boat load of water in one day? I started searching the internet and this is what I have come up with:
- It helps you lose weight. I’ve noticed that I definitely get full faster and am taking in less food without feeling deprived. This has been an easy way to kick up my weight loss efforts.
- It’s easier to be hydrated for exercise. Since I am always drinking water, I start my exercise routine already hydrated and don’t have to take in as much water to stay on top of my hydration. When I am well hydrated, I exercise better! I don’t feel sluggish and it takes longer for me to feel tired. I did not expect simply drinking water would be so beneficial to my exercising.
- Your skin texture improves. I’ve read that your skin gets plumped up and dewy because you are hydrated. I don’t know about that, but I am definitely breaking out less and generally having fewer skin problems since I started drinking more water.
- Drinking water helps maintain digestive health. I have definitely noticed that water helps with digestion, and (this is probably an overshare) helps to keep you “regular”….with your “evacuation” processes by making things easier and more frequent.
- Drinking water helps flush out toxins. Although most people refer to the benefits of drinking water to flush out toxins that come from our food and the environment, the best proof I have is how water helps to prevent hangovers and minimizes the effects of alcohol. This is probably more of a hydration effect than a toxin-flush effect. I noticed before that whenever I had a glass of wine at night , I used to feel pretty sluggish and drained during my run. Now that I am taking in extra water, I can have a glass of wine and still feel fine for exercise the next day. ***This one is not mine - it is one that I read and thought that it made sense since it talks about flushing toxins - not drinking. Sorry if it offends anyone***
- Speaking of exercise, I definitely get more exercise as a result of drinking water. This is because of all of the bathroom breaks I need to take during the day. I feel like I am constantly walking to the bathroom. If I wore a pedometer, I bet this would add a couple of thousand steps to my weekly tally.
- Taking in more fluid helps reduce fluid retention. Like many women, I retain fluid and get some swelling around the time I menstruate. However, I’ve noticed that I am now less swollen since I began drinking water.
- You have more energy. I don’t know why, I just know that I feel more alert and have fewer days when I hit the afternoon slump since I started drinking more water.
- You save money. Bottled water is definitely cheaper than most other drinks, and tap water is free! Most people in the US have access to good, clean, safe tap water. If you want to learn about the quality of your local tap water, the Environmental Protection Agency monitors and publicly reports the quality of tap water throughout the US.
- You know the location of every bathroom. Have I mentioned how much you go to the bathroom drinking all of this water? Let me just say that a benefit to the popularity of Starbuck’s is you are never very far from a bathroom. If you are stuck, with no Starbuck’s in sight, a good back up is a nice hotel. Most of them have bathrooms somewhere in the lobby.
- Carry a bottle
A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. I like to keep a glass of water at my desk, and I drink from it all day long. When it's empty, I fill it up again, and keep drinking. **STACY COMMENT> I do keep an 18 oz water bottle filled with crystal light that I carry with me most of the time. I have another in the fridge waiting to "go" after I have finished my first one. END COMMENT** - Set a reminder
Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don't forget to drink water. - Substitute water
If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions. - Filter
Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It'll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price. **THIS IS ME> We bought a britta pitcher and fill it up and make crystal light from it in a separate pitcher. I constantly try to have filtered water in the britta pitcher. I do not like the way water taste from the tap, so this is easier on my taste buds!! OK END OF STACY COMMENT** - Exercise
Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It's not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you're going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well. - Track it
It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it -- it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you're staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.
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