We often talk about the importance of drinking water to keep our bodies hydrated, but water is important for the body on many levels. Let’s look at the benefits of drinking water, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.
Tip 1 Enhanced Mental Clarity
As the brain is made up of approximately 85% water, having even a mild dehydration of 1-3% has been found to impair brain function. Having a glass of water each hour throughout the day brings sharper focus and heightened concentration. If you have not drank enough water, you may start to feel brain fog, decreased ability to concentrate, and increased desire to sleep.
Tip 2 Improved Mood
As our brain functions, it works to clear out unwanted toxins and dead cells. If we are dehydrated, and there is less water circulating in the body and brain, our brain will work to conserve resources, limiting the detoxification process, causing an increased feeling of sluggishness and decreased mood. Taking small sips of water throughout the day works to maintain the appropriate balance and keeps your mind sharp and mood fresh. This increased hydration will also boost your feel-good hormones and endorphins, while lowering the built-up stress hormones.
Tip 3 Fewer Headaches
How often have you gone all day without drinking any water, only to find yourself with a pounding headache? Research has found that one of the most common reasons for headaches is dehydration. So, the next time you feel a dull headache coming on, before jumping to medications, drink a glass of water. In recent studies, many people were found to have relief of their headaches within 30 minutes of drinking water. By staying hydrated throughout the day, you can also prevent the headaches from starting in the first place.
Tip 4 Healthy Clear Skin
The best thing that you can do for your skin is to stay well hydrated. As skin is an important organ of the body, it requires adequate hydration to operate at its best. Water works to moisturize the skin from the inside out by plumping up the skin cells, preventing premature aging and dullness in the skin, while boosting collagen production. Water also works to decrease toxin-induced blemishes, enhancing a healthier glow.
Tip 5 Decreases Fatigue and Boosts Energy
If we don’t drink enough water throughout the day, the amount of circulating blood volume in our body will decrease, causing the heart to work harder to pump oxygenated blood throughout our system. With the decreased oxygenated blood our body organs won’t function optimally, and the body begins to feel tired and run down. Adequate hydration allows for the body’s metabolism to operate efficiently, boosting energy production and decreasing feelings of fatigue.
Tip 6 Improved Digestion
When we eat food, our digestion process begins in the mouth. Saliva is key to this digestion process and its main component is water. As saliva includes small amounts of electrolytes, mucus and enzymes, it is essential in the breakdown of solid foods. Having adequate water intake is necessary in order to keep our saliva flowing at its top production levels. Water additionally helps with your digestion as it changes the consistency of food and stomach contents, and moves everything along in the process.
Tip 7 Can Assist with Weight Loss
Staying well hydrated keeps the body’s metabolism level boosted, so the number of calories burned throughout the day increases. Drinking water throughout the day brings an increased feeling of satiety, or decreased appetite, and the desire to consume an increased number of calories decreases. Hydration additionally boosts your metabolism assisting the body to burn extra calories throughout the day.
Tip 8 Protects Your Joints and Tissues
Water helps to keep all the joints and tissues of the body well lubricated. The synovial fluid that directly lubricates your joints is made up of primarily water. This fluid reduces the friction between joints and keeps them cushioned and moving without pain. Drinking water is also important for our muscles, as it helps them to heal and repair faster and prevents them from cramping.
Tip 9 Can Prevent Kidney Stones
Drinking enough water throughout the day assists our kidneys to operate at their top efficiency. As the kidney’s main role in the body is to help flush out toxins, it is crucial that they stay well hydrated. When there is not enough hydration in the kidneys, stone-causing minerals can settle in the kidney causing one to have painful kidney stones, and decreased urination. Being well hydrated is the best way to prevent kidney stones, as it keeps fluids flushing through the kidneys, limiting toxins and build up.
Tip 10 Get Those Bowels Moving
Constipation is a common health problem that many people experience. When your body does not have adequate hydration, the colon in the body will pull out water from the stools to keep hydrated. This makes for harder stools, with fewer bowel movements. Keeping well hydrated allows your stools to stay softer, pass more easily and more frequently, improving the health of your intestinal tract. Having regular bowel movements is key to overall health and wellness.
Staying well hydrated is one of the key steps you can take to improving your optimal health and wellness. At Besana Health and Wellness, we would love to connect with you to optimize your hydration strategies and assist you with your health goals and wellness. We believe in optimal wellness and vitality and are dedicated to helping you look and feel your best. We believe that it is never too early, or too late, to work towards being the healthiest you.
We would love for you to get a deeper dive into these ten tips and learn more about increasing your healthy sleep and rest knowledge. For a quick video, follow our Youtube link: Besana Health & Wellness Youtube Channel or if you would prefer an audio version, subscribe to our Podcast channel: Besana Health & Wellness Podcast
Sources used in this blog:
Healthline
