10 Inspiring Reasons to Keep Yourself Hydrated

Many of us don’t stop to think about how much water we drink in a day. We get thirsty…we

drink something. Often times we grab coffee, tea, or soda instead of water. Although about

20% of your water intake comes from foods, it is nowhere near enough to keep your body

hydrated. Drinking water is the #1 way to stay hydrated and protect your health, especially as

you age.

How much water should you be drinking?

It depends on several factors. Generally, men should drink more (at least 12 cups) than women (at least 9 cups), but there’s more to it than that. You will need to increase your fluid intake for any of the following reasons: if you are working outside in the heat (increase to 8 ounces of water around every 20 minutes), or if you are exercising, sweating, or have an illness (diarrhea, vomiting, fever). If you want a more personalized approach, you to how much you need to drink, divide your weight by 2, and drink that much water. So, for someone who is 200 lbs., they would need to drink 100 oz, which equates to 12.5 glasses of water a day. There are also online hydration calculators. It is VERY unlikely, but you can drink too much water. This can be dangerous because it can cause the concentration of the sodium in your body to become too low. This won’t happen as long as you don’t become extreme about drinking water; don’t drink more than 48 ounces (6 cups) in an hour.

Need some inspiration to convince you to drink more water? Below I have compiled a

compelling list of reasons why you should increase your water intake.

1. Fewer Headaches

Do you get a lot of headaches? I know I do, for several reasons: allergies, tension, posture, and dehydration. I am always working on ways to reduce the number that I get. I recently read in an article that roughly 10% of people experience headaches due to dehydration. Even a mild fluid loss can cause your brain to contract away from the skull, which can lead to headaches or migraines in certain people. To prevent this, keep yourself consistently well-hydrated.

2. More Energy

Dehydration can make you feel tired, sluggish, less focused, and even cranky. This is because it can slow down your circulation and affect the oxygen flow to your brain. When you are lacking in fluids, it can also cause your heart to work harder to get the oxygen to all parts of your body. By keeping yourself hydrated, your body won’t have to work as hard and you will, therefore, have more energy.

3. Weight Loss/Management

Drinking water helps to provide a sense of fullness. If you feel hungry in between meals, you

could actually be thirsty. Try drinking a glass of water and giving it about 10 minutes to see if

you still feel hungry. It just might do the trick. If not, then eat a small, healthy snack to hold

you over until your next meal. Also, try drinking a glass of water before each meal to help you feel full more quickly and take in less calories and carbs. One study asked women with excess weight to drink an additional glass of water before meals. They found there were substantial reductions in all of the following: body weight, mass index, and overall body composition. According to another study back in 2016, adults who increased their water intake by just 1% consumed fewer calories and reduced their overall intake of sugar, cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat. Give it a try!

4. Improved Brain Performance

Increasing your daily water intake helps with cognitive function by improving mood, energy (as I stated earlier), and concentration. When you are even slightly dehydrated, it affects your brain. Some of the symptoms you may experience when you are not as hydrated as you should be:

1) Memory loss

2) Poor focus and attention

3) Slow processing of information

4) Difficulty processing math problems

5) Irritability

6) Headaches (as mentioned earlier)

5. Healthier Heart

Our blood is largely made up of water. When you don’t drink enough water, your blood

becomes concentrated. This can cause an imbalance of minerals (electrolytes). The vital

minerals, which include potassium and sodium, are vital to the proper functioning of your

heart.

6. Aids in Digestion

Water plays an important role in proper food digestion. If you don’t have enough water, you

may experience gas, bloating, irregular bowel movements, heartburn, and a variety of other

discomforts that can affect your quality of life. By increasing your intake of water, you can get

things moving again. Water helps in breaking down soluble fiber from your diet to keep

digestion on track. Did you know that mineral water is especially beneficial? Be sure to look forproducts enriched with sodium and magnesium.

7. Decreased Joint Pain

Guess what makes up almost 80% of the cartilage in our joints. Water. By staying hydrated, you are helping your joints stay well-lubricated. This creates more of a cushion between your bones and reduces friction. Less friction means smoother moving joints and fewer aches and pains.

8. Temperature Regulation

Your body stores more heat when you are dehydrated. Because of this, your tolerance to hot

temperatures is reduced. If you drink plenty of water when out in the heat, you will produce

sweat which will cool your body down. This method of cooling off is critical in preventing heat stroke and other potentially deadly heat-related conditions.

9. Prevents Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are made up of mineral crystals that form somewhere in the urinary tract (mostly the kidneys). If you’ve experienced one (or two, like me) you know just how painful and dangerous they can be. About 4 months ago I had bilateral kidney stones (stones on both sides at the same time). I ended up needing surgery to remove the larger one. Consuming adequate amounts of water each day can help dilute the concentration of minerals in your urinary tract and make getting stones less likely.

10. Improves Detoxification

Keeping hydrated supports your body’s natural detoxification systems, which remove waste

and harmful substances through urination, breathing, sweating, and bowel movements. Help

enhance your overall health by supporting your own powerful, built-in detox processes.

Here are 10 Tips for Staying Hydrated

1. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning to get your metabolism running.

2. Purchase a fun or fancy water bottle for a visual reminder to drink more water

throughout the day.

3. Use alarms or notifications on your smart devices as reminders throughout the day.

4. Focus on what your body is telling you – sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger.

5. Drink a glass of water before each meal.

6. Add calorie-free flavoring such as fruit or vegetable infusions.

7. Check the color of your urine to ensure that it is clear or light-colored. This indicates

proper hydration.

8. Swap out high sugar drinks for sparkling water or seltzer.

9. Set a daily goal – it can help you stay motivated and work towards maintaining a healthy

habit.

10. Make it a challenge – ask your friends to join you in a healthy competition to see who

regularly meets their daily goals.

Drinking plenty of water is a simple yet important part of maintaining good health, especially as we get older. As you’ve seen, the benefits of staying hydrated are many. It is needed for almost every aspect of our bodies. After all, we are 60-70% water! So, if you want to live a longer and healthier life – keep yourself hydrated!