Anyways, my grandmother was ALWAYS nagging us children to drink more water and less sodas. She said we would have better skin and that water was better for us. Pfffftttttt, what kid wants to drink water after being introduced to sodas?! Especially in todays society.
Grandmother was right though, but I had to find out on my own of course. Not that I hated water, I just preferred soft drinks, especially if I wasn't paying for them. As I grew older and started to care more about my health, and had to start paying for them, I quickly switched to water. Here's a few reasons why water is better for you. I stole this from some website, but I agree with them all.
1. Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue – Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!
2. Promotes Weight Loss – Removes by-products of fat, reduces eating intake (by filling up your tummy if consumed prior to meals), reduces hunger (hello natural appetite suppressant!), raises your metabolism and has zero calories!
3. Flushes Out Toxins – Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).
4. Improves Skin Complexion – Moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, glowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. It’s the best anti-aging treatment around! (G-ma was right!!)
5. Maintains Regularity – Aids in digestion as water is essential to digest your food and prevents constipation.
6. Boosts Immune System – A water guzzler is less likely to get sick. And who wouldn’t rather feel healthy the majority of the time? Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu, cancer and other ailments like heart attacks.
7. Natural Headache Remedy – Helps relieve and prevent headaches (migraines & back pains too!) which are commonly caused by dehydration.
8. Prevents Cramps & Sprains - Proper hydration helps keep joints lubricated and muscles more elastic so joint pain is less likely.
9. Puts You in a Good Mood – When the body is functioning at its best, you will feel great and be happy!
10. Save Money! - Water is FREE! Even if you choose bottled/filtered water, it’s STILL cheaper than that high sugar and fat-filled latte!
People at the gym and bodybuilders that are in contest prep, drink a gallon to two gallons of water a day. Don't ask me why. I've heard several "rules" on how much water one is supposed to drink a day. Some say 8 (8 oz) of water, others say half your body weight in oz's. Either way, being that your body is 70% water, I don't think its a bad thing if you consume too much, although I'm no doctor.
Having said that, currently I try to drink as close to a gallon as possible. Some days I do great with this goal, other days I fail miserably. I'm human. But I have found a few tips to help you drink more water and I'd like to share:
-Make it taste good. If you just absolutely HATE and DESPISE the taste of water like my father, add a flavor to it. He was AMAZED when I introduced Crystal Light to him. There are a ton of water flavorings out there, find one that you like.
-Make drinking fun. Get a bottle you like, or a crazy straw if you have to. Knowing you have to and need to makes it boring and you're less likely to do it.
-Make it an optical illusion. There was a Fiji bottle of water in our fridge one day that I'm assuming my younger brother brought home and forgot about. (*On a side note, I do not believe in spending much money on fancy bottle water such as Fiji or SmartWater. Water is water. Paying more for it isn't gonna make it lay me a golden egg.*) I drank it and liked the bottle so much that I carry it around with me everywhere and just refill it. Come to find out, it's the same size as a standard bottle of water, though you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it cause its shorter, but wider. I THINK it's less water, and therefore am able to drink it faster. Same with this new liter jug I bought.
WARNING!!
If you drink lots of water, most of it is going to come back out quickly in the form of urine. Lately at the gym (I tend to drink more water while working out) I've gone to the bathroom three times in the span of two hours. Kid you not.
"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." -John 4:14
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