How many times have you been told to stay hydrated? Or to drink water throughout the day? All good advice, but not always followed. Water is……..boring. But, did anyone ever actually give you a list of why you should drink water? Sometimes you just need a visual on good advice:
Dehydration can cause:
Fatigue – Our bodies get energy from water, when we don’t drink the right amount the enzymatic activity in the body slows down and we become tired, we don’t function at our best.
Premature Aging – No one wants this! Our largest organ is our skin. When we stay chronically dehydrated our skin begins to wrinkle! (it can also cause dermatitis and psoriasis because our skin is not eliminating toxins as it was designed to).
Constipation – Our colons need water to provide fluids for other body functions. Without the right amount of water in our body, waste will move through the large intestines slowly or not at all. This causes constipation and being constipated has an effect on absorbing important nutrients and weight loss.
Weight Gain – When the body is thirsty, we lose our energy and tend to eat more and not move like we should to shed those pounds.
Digestive Disorders – Because being dehydrated can lead to a shortage of alkaline minerals (calcium and magnesium) can hinder your digestion and can lead to acid reflux and gastritis.
Join stiffness – Our joints have a padding which is made up of water (and other things), when we do not drink enough water our cartilage is weakened and any repair our joints may need slows down causing pain and stiffness.
Bladder and Kidney Issues – Drinking water helps push toxins through our bodies. Dehydration aides in being prone to more infections and allowing bad bacteria to grow.
Now you know you need to drink water (I was convinced on the less wrinkle part), but let’s boost that water:
Add LEMONS! They have vitamin C and they help detox your body! Add LIMES, they have less vitamin C but they boost your digestive system. They also give that boring water some flavor and they visually look great floating in your water container!!!! How much water? That varies, the rule is eight 8-ounce glasses. I fill my water bottle 4 times a day. More if it is summer and I am sweating more.
