Water is Life (Drink Up!)
Many of us do not drink enough water. One of the most important reason to drink adequate amounts of water is to keep your brain hydrated. Our brain controls everything we do, every system of our body, our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, everything. Without enough water our brain, our body and our entire being cannot function optimally. With a little bit of research you can find simple formulas to calculate how much water your individual body needs or you can go with the standard 8, 8 oz glasses a day. Keep in mind caffeine dehydrates us, and as I sit and write this I am drinking caffeinated green tea, this isn’t about eliminating caffeine, it is a note to take into account when you are calculating how much water you may need. A few signs of dehydration are headache, muscle aches and cramping, fatigue, and a lack of focus and concentration.
I am not going to go into detail here, but I will in a future post about the importance of electrolytes and the role they play in hydration. Sometimes simply drinking water is enough. However, based on your level of activity, how much you sweat, and degree of dehydration, water alone may not be enough. The most common electrolytes all humans need are sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium (there are 3 others but unless you know more about chemistry it’s too much information for the purpose of this article).
Listed below are several benefits of drinking water.
• Our bodies are composed of 65-85% water and our blood is 94% water. Our brain is 85% water. Water surrounds and protects our cells, hydrates our tissue and cleanses the wastes from our system.
• Water acts as a lubricant and cushion for our joints as well as our eyes and spinal cord. It gives fluidity to our muscles and other soft tissues.
• If your body is dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker and harder to pump, which could lead to hypertension and heart disease. (Simple Steps, Lisa Lelas, Linda McClintock & Beverly Zingarella)
• Water acts as a coolant for our body. Water regulates a healthy body temperature, which is one reason we sweat when we get hot.
• Water gives our skin a healthy, radiant glow.
• Water helps to cleanse and detox the body, especially the liver.
• Water is energizing and can help prevent fatigue. Without water our body cannot break down triglycerides (fats) into usable forms of energy (Simple Steps).
• Drinking water facilitates and speeds our metabolism.
• Water carries fat out of the body (Simple Steps).
• Drinking plenty of water can help reduce our appetite.
• Drinking less soft drinks and more water can reduce body weight as much as 10lbs over a year.
• Approximately 8, 8oz servings a day. Start your day with water to allow your body to flush impurities and get a fresh start to your day.
This is great information and has helped motivate me to drink an adequate amount of water every day. I drink a lot of black coffee every day and I have realized that instead of seeking energy from caffeine it would benefit me more to drink water. I recently bought a water bottle that holds fruit/mint to infuse your water and has helped me to stay hydrated and energized and recommend it to everyone!
Great article, inspired me to drink way more water and inform others about this!
I completely agree with the idea that everyone needs to drink more water. I always have a water bottle with me everywhere i go. it helps me keep my body feeling energized, especially when taking care of my son, or when im at work with kids aged from 5-10.
This article was really helpful! I always wondered why i would take a sip of soda, and once i swallowed it id be thirsty again. I also didn’t know that water helped to prevent fatigue… usually when someone is fatigued, people say to drink a gatorade or something with sugar for your blood sugar to feel a little better. Glad to know all this information, i went for about 5 months without drinking soda, and i really didn’t miss it all since i started to drink lemon water. Everywhere i went i had water with lemon, so i want to get back to that as i have been back to drinking a lot of soda lately.
i agree that water is very important. I try to drink water all day, rather than drinking a soda or juice.
This past summer I had to figure out how much water my body needed to keep from cramping while I worked out and it has made me appreciate water. I stopped drinking soda for months and now all I drink is water with lemon/mint and it really helps keep my body feeling great. This was great because it informed me a little more about the benefits of drinking water.
This article is extremely informational! I’ve always had a problem with not drinking enough water. Even when I’m thirsty I’ll give into cravings of soda instead, which I know is horrible! I’ve come across some “pinterest” ideas of getting enough water intake simply by labeling your bottle the amount you should finish at a certain time. I think I’m going to be trying that soon to help me get the adequate amount of water in my body.
I agree that drinking water helps with headaches, energizes you, and helps reduce appetites. For months and months I have struggled with migraines to the point where I cannot see and I have to pull over when I am driving and sit for 30 minutes until it goes away. I do not like taking medicine because I found I was allergic to a lot and it does not help for how severe they are. These past couple of weeks I have eliminated soda from my diet and have been drinking more water and my headaches have lessened and have almost gone away. I feel a lot more energized when I drink water throughout the day and I eat a lot healthier so it has made me overall more energetic also.
I definitely don’t drink as much water as I should, and I know this because I often times have headaches, fatigue and trouble concentrating in classes. This problem got really bad when I ended up in the hospital over the summer thinking I had a bigger problem when in reality, I was just very dehydrated. After that I try to drink as much water as I need a day to prevent that from happening again, but now I know the signs that lead to me becoming dehydrated and can prevent it before it happens
This information really motivated me to start drinking more water. I have been trying hard to drink water because I knew it was good for me, but now I know all the reasons why I really should push myself to my water drinking goals every day. 🙂 Thank you!
This was an excellent article regarding the benifits of water. I think alot people take advantage of how important being hydrated is to all aspects of health, and as daily essential element to productivity. Paying attention to signs like headaches, cramping, and fatigue that you mentioned within the article are important indaicators that your body is trying to tell you something.
Great information. From the article, I know how important water is, I will try to encourage myself to drink more water. Drinking more water can lose weight as well.
My aunt has always told me that I need to drink more water and after reading all these benefits I realized that she was more than right and I need to start taking better care of my body.
I believe we take for granted what simple water can really achieve in our bodies. We usually drink coffee, soda, tea or even alcoholic drinks, not realizing that water is super necessary apart from whatever we drink. I liked that the article specified the benefits of drinking water in different parts of our bodies. We believe it is just about being hydrated but it is also about taking care of our brain, our joints, etc. Thank you for this article, I really enjoy water in all of its ways, swimming, going to the beach, kayaking, showering, drinking it, and hearing it. 🙂
This was very helpful information! I know that I don’t drink enough water everyday and after reading this I am determined to start trying harder!
Great Article! Something so simple has such a big aspect in life:)
This is awesome! It amazes me just to take a breath and think that close to the entirety of our body is H2O. This hydrogen and oxygen was formed in supernovae explosions billions of years ago and trillions of miles away. Together, these two elements form us. We are all so blessed to be alive and well, so the least we can do for our bodies to stay healthy is drink plenty of water. I recently bought a new water bottle that tracks the oz that I have drank per day on the side so I can assure that I’ve drank plenty. Nothing feels better than drinking water either. 🙂
It is a great article. it remind me the hot photo which was released few months a go; picture of a mom and her 2 teenager daughters. It asked to recognize which one is mom because all look like in the same age. finally, the mom was recognized and she said her secret to have a good and soft skin was to drink 8 glass of water daily. That’s the amazing effect of WATER.
I love this article on the importance of water and am going to print it and put it on my refrigerator door because I actually forget to drink water. I get annoyed at myself whenever I look at my skin and notice how dry it is. When I last saw my doctor a few months back, he reminded me to drink water all day long as it will help me with losing weight as well as keep my platelet count normal. He told me that I should drink more water than coffee because coffee actually dehydrates us.
Thank you for posting this great article to remind us of the importance of water!
I couldn’t agree more with this post! I struggle with headaches often so I am constantly trying to make sure I drink enough water. I also work outside so in the summer, it is extremely hard to keep my body dehydrated. I almost always only drink water and tea. It makes me cringe when parents come to the place I work and give there kids sodas after sodas. I copied and saved your list of benefits so I can bombard everyone else at work to drink only water 🙂 thanks for the good read!
Something I think is the biggest benefit from drinking water is the emotional well-being, or general “feeling good” that comes with adequate hydration. Some time ago, I began drinking one to two gallons a day, depending on the level of outdoor activity I found myself in. After three days my mood was lifted to a higher normal, with drops less common and severe. If for no other reason, this is why I keep with the habit of gal/day. When your physical self is not trying as hard to manage itself, more energy can be spent enjoying the world.
Reading this article made me realize how I am not drinking enough of water. I do acknowledge that i need to be drinking more water instead of green tea and zero calorie drinks but for some reason i will push myself for a couple of days and then automatically stop or not drink as much. As much as i have been trying to lose weight i know that drinking extra water will help me more then not drinking enough of water. I have also looked up some different of add ons i can put in water to enhance the flavor for me to drink it. The days i do drink alot of water i can feel the difference so my goal is now to atleast start with 8 cups a day.
It is so difficult for me to drink an adequate amount of water. When I get to my third water bottle for the day, I am completely tired of drinking water. The only thing that really helps me stay hydrated is adding fruit to my water, like lemons, cucumbers, and mint leaves. After reading this article, I understand the importance of drinking water and will definitely try drink more of it throughout my day. I could sure use the energy. 🙂
This article gave me a lot of new information about water. Yes, I knew water was healthy for you, but I did not know that it could give you more energy. It also helps with your internal self and could make you happier and healthier in the long run! enjoyed this!!
I have gotten into the routine of drinking water as my primary source of hydration. I agree that it is a basic and important need for our body, providing so many benefits to our health. What surprised me was reading that water is needed to break down triglycerides and can facilitate and speeds our metabolism. So water has a weight-control/loss effect beyond making us feel full and therefore decreasing our appetite. That’s very interesting. I have also noticed myself drinking more water when I study and guessed that the brain also needs hydration like the rest of the body. I recognized myself experiencing the headache, fatigue, and decreased concentration after some hours of study. Maybe long hours of study can be just as dehydrating as some form of mild exercise.
Since taking your yoga class, I have become more aware if how important water really is. I have found on the days I drink more water before class, my muscles are more willing to stretch into the different poses. I have always been bad about drinking water, but have been getting better as the semester has progressed. I feel better when I drink water, and it definitely shows.
I’ve noticed when I drink water my skin gets a lot better and I do not get headaches. Always important to stay hydrated.
These are facts that people should be aware of! Maybe one day everyone can let go of the carbonated sugary drinks and just drink water.
I truly agree with this article.It has changed my life. If I don’t drink enough water my body is sure to tell me with a horrible headache. I have cut almost all soda out of my diet entirely and drink decaf tea every so often. In the morning, I start my day with water and it has made a huge difference in my appearance and skin. I have also lost a few pounds and hope to continue to loose some more. My appetite has shrunk too my drinking lots of water throughout the day.
Great article ! I already love my water! Now I know why!
This article was a great reminder for me to start being on top of my water intake. Thanks!
I drink water without even thinking a lot of the benefits water gives to the human body. Instead, my initial perception of water is that I drink water because I am thirsty from eating too much salt-content foods. Knowing that water assists in maintaining healthy skin, I am more willing to take in water more often than soft drinks because I have eczema, and it does bother my skin frequently. Thank you for the great information.
I find this article information interesting and quite motivation. I began drinking water more frequently just to see positive outcomes. I always lean towards other things to keep myself going, such as caffeine, though I have learned that water everyday actually increased the amount of energy I seemed to have. I was almost more alert and active. You never really know the impact of water until you make it an initiative to make it apart of your everyday routine.
I wish I could get my husband to drink more water. He always claims its “boring” or some other silly excuse. He’s defiantly in shape even though he used drink a liter of root beer or Dr. Pepper a day. I think it’s recently sunk in for him to change his ways when he saw the dentist last though. The dentist said his enamel was looking thinner than it should and he needed to cut out the dark sodas. Although he hasn’t stopped entirely, he has cut down a great deal. Those calorie free water enhancers have helped out some.
I literally had to get up out of my seat while I read this to our myself a glass of water. Excellent article with great information. Water definitely is the fuel of the human body.
Great article! I think I was aware of some of the benefits of drinking water, but the article was a little more informative and reminded me the true importance of drinking enough water for my body.
The article was very informative. I suffer from dehydration on daily bases. Thanks to the article I have made a promise to myself to drink water
and carry a water bottle with me.
I fall guilty as well, I do not drink enough water on a daily basis. Some days are better than others but I know I do not consume enough water. It’s funny, actually while reading this my mouth got dry ( or I realized I haven’t drank enough water) and had to get up and get some. Very inspiring article though!!
I love this article. Many people hear that you must drink water, but rarely do people get the reasoning behind it. This article was very informative and taught me things that I didn’t know. While yes, i consume a good amount of water. I simply did it because I was told too by doctors and everyone. Now I know that there are multiple health benefits to the drinking water.
This article really helped when studying for one of my finals! The question was a short answer and after reading this article I was able to remember several different benefits that come from drinking plenty of water.
This article is filled with lots of great information about the importance of hydration. After reading it, I can say that I do not drink enough water right now. As a kid, you’re always told to drink water, but the importance of it is never explained. Water is the best and most safe beverage to drink for your well-being as you stated it has the ability to detoxify the ins and outs of your body. Our bodies are composed of 65-85% water! If that doesn’t explain the importance of water and the human body, then I don’t know what will. Thank you for a wonderful class and the information you have provided us with.
Your line about how its the not the point to cut out caffeine, but to just take it into account when you plan your water intake was wonderful! I’ve heard wayyyyyy too many times from people saying that its unhealthy to drink coffee or tea because it dehydrates you and you should cut it out completely. This year, drinking the daily recommended amount of water every day was one of my new year resolutions, and like most resolutions I’ve kinda been slacking on it. Its posts or comments like these that reinvigorate that goal for me.
This is well written. Many people in mix martial arts who have a bad or severe weight cut, in where they have to dehydrate all of their water weight, are severely prone to be knocked out. Even though the weigh ins are a day before, it takes the brain longer to gain the full hydrated capacity thana day. This has brought up a lot ot debate for more weight classes, or even a hydration test at the weigh in to prove you are hydrated and in the proper weight class. One FC, an Asia based fight promotion has done this and all of their champions had to up a weight class in order to be within the hydration standard with their actual weight. This has severely benefitted the health of the fighters in the promotion, who are already in a dangerous sport.
I agree with this article. People drink sodas more than water. but that is not healthy at all.; especially in Texas one needs to drink water to stay hydrated. water also helps to digest and fight acne.
I love this article! I’ve been a huge advocate for drinking water since I was very young and felt that I experienced more benefits with being more hydrated! This helps me to highlight that I’ve been doing things exactly how I should’ve been for so long. I hope more people begin to learn and digest this information and work to make it a habit rather than an inconvenience to drink more water and hydrate their bodies properly.
My mother has always told me that the start to losing weight is drinking more water, and Up until recently i never understood why as id always believed it was more important to exercise or control ones diet in order to really lose weight. I had no idea the effects water alone could have in aiding the body with just simple things like metabolism or helping the body carry out fats.
This is very insightful, whenever I talk to people who want to lose weight I tell them to start drinking more water, then take a look at what you’re eating. I try to drink a gallon a day as I am very active. Whats hard is getting the electrolytes lol.