Everyone has heard the old standard: drink 8 glasses of water per day to stay healthy. Another one that floats around a lot is “by the time you’re thirsty, you’re already partially dehydrated.” So it all “comes down” to this; We know we should drink water (at least a certain amount), but what are some of the real benefits? Here are five great benefits of drinking water.
- Your skin needs water to stay healthy. This may seem a bit redundant after saying that you need water in general to stay healthy, but think about this for a moment. If your skin is dehydrated, you will look tired and more lines are likely to appear on your face. If you look unhealthy, that sets up the mental processes. You look in the mirror and think badly and that turns this into a vicious circle. Stay hydrated, look good, and feel good both physically and mentally.
- Drinking water saves you money compared to any other drink. Yes, if you buy a bottle of water at the gym or in a store, it can be almost as expensive as a soda or coffee, but generally speaking, if you refill larger containers or even drink tap water, you’re saving a ton of money. money over time. Some sort of filtration system at your faucet (or a whole house system) can even be more cost effective and give you delicious purified water without all the chemicals a municipal water system adds.
- Water provides the natural solution to detoxify your body. It is what nature intended. Drinking water allows your kidneys to release the toxins that your liver has filtered out of your circulatory system.
- Rehydrating your body is another obvious reason to drink water. No matter what kind of hype you read or hear about electrolyte replenishing drinks, water is best for you. Most of the salt and other additives in sports drinks are already in the food you’re going to consume, so there’s no need to add them through those drinks, plus they’re more expensive. I don’t think you’re ever going to visit a doctor and be told you need more salt in your diet, and that’s one of the big “electrolyte” type ingredients in most of those sports drinks. (If you’re doing very strenuous activities, like long-distance running or professional or college-level sports, you may need sports drinks, but for the average person on the street, they’re not necessary.)
- Weight loss is the final reason. Drinking water has three functions that really help you with any weight loss program. First, the water is filling up. If you drink water before meals or between meals, you’re less likely to overeat or snack. The second weight loss factor goes back to the third item on this list. Not only does it eliminate toxins, but it also eliminates the byproducts of your weight loss, those broken down components of your fat cells. And finally, water has no calories.
So you know you have other options to quench your thirst, but when it comes down to it, the best option is water. What are you waiting for? Go get a glass.