Top 5 Hydration Benefits
The easiest possibly way to improve your health is by making sure you are properly hydrated throughout the day. The recommended water consumption is half your body weight in ounces. This means if you weight 200lbs you should be consuming 100oz of water everyday. It is necessary for our bodies to function properly, as it helps regulate body temperature, transport nutrients, and remove waste. Yet, many people do not drink enough water to maintain proper hydration levels. In this blog post, we will explore the top 5 health benefits of hydration and why it is essential to drink enough water.
1..Helps maintain bodily functions
Drinking enough water is necessary to maintain proper bodily functions. The amount of water you drink can even affect your cognitive abilities. Mild dehydration can have a negative impact on your mood and cognition. Specifically, insufficient water intake can have detrimental effects on concentration, alertness, short-term memory, math skills, perception, and psychomotor skills. Not only does dehydration had an effect on our mental health but our physical performances may be hindered as well. Particularly if you participate in endurance activities such as marathons or dynamic workouts such as high intensity interval training (HIIT). Drinking enough water during exercise can have a positive effect on your performance by improving blood volume, cardiac output, muscle blood flow, and skin blood flow. Research also reports that physical performance drops with even modest dehydration, approximately 2% of your body mass. That’s key since athletes can lose 6 to 10% of their body weight via sweat during a single workout. Increasing water intake can help prevent these issues and ensure that our bodies can perform at their optimal levels.
2. Supports healthy skin
Drinking enough water can also help support healthy skin by hydrating skin cells, making them look plump and healthy. This can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, making skin look more youthful and vibrant.
3. Aids in weight loss
Drinking enough water can also aid in weight loss. Common dietary advise is to drink a glass of water prior to a meal. This will active the stretch receptors in our stomach and send signals to our brain that we are full , helping us to avoid over eating. Additionally, drinking water can help boost metabolism, which can help the body burn more calories. Studies show that drinking water can trigger thermogenesis (the production of heat in the body), thus enhancing weight loss. In one study, 50 overweight girls were instructed to drink about 16 ounces of water three times a day for eight weeks. By the end of the study, the girls not only lost weight, they also had a better body mass index (BMI) and improved body composition.
4. Supports kidney function
The kidneys play a crucial role in removing waste from the body, and water helps to flush out these toxins. Drinking enough water can help prevent kidney stones and other kidney-related issues. Some studies have shown that frequent dehydration, even if it's mild, may lead to permanent kidney damage. Dehydration can cause a build-up of wastes and acids in the body, and it can clog the kidneys with muscle proteins (myoglobin).
5. Helps regulate body temperature
Drinking enough water is also necessary to regulate body temperature. Humans are able to regular body temperature with the assistance of sweat glands. When heat activates sweat glands, these glands bring that water, along with the body's salt, to the surface of the skin. Once on the surface, the water evaporates. Water evaporating from the skin cools the body, keeping its temperature in a healthy range. When we are dehydrated, our bodies cannot regulate temperature effectively, leading to heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses.
How to tell if you’re dehydrated?
An easy way to see if you’re drinking enough water is to check the color of your urine. If it is clear or a pale yellow color, you’re likely well-hydrated. Bright or dark yellow urine, however, indicates dehydration, so it’s time to drink up!
Tips and tricks to improve hydration:
Start and end the day with an 8-ounce glass of water
Set alarms or reminders on your cell phone
Carry around a fancy water bottle such as a Corkcicle, Yeti or Stanley Cup
Add calorie-free flavoring to your water
Eat foods that are high in water content
The food pictured above are high in water content and can help with hydration levels.
