We talk a lot about what to eat everyday. I acknowledge that preparing and planning are crucial to a healthy lifestyle. I stress that breakfast is the most important meal of your day as it really does give your body the kick-start it needs to get you moving forward. We tend to forget though the most important drink of the day, can you guess what that might be?
Yup, you’re right! Water. So how much water have you had so far today?
Drinking water sounds easy but it really can be a serious issue if you aren’t drinking enough. What is so important about drinking water?
- It purifies and cleanses our bodies naturally. Our bodies need that kind of purification system. It’s recommended that you swig down eight – 8oz. glasses of water a day. That’s a total of 64 oz. And I highly encourage you to eventually work your way up to drink half of your body weight in ounces daily. Not Diet Root Beer, coffee, or tea – but plain water.
- Water helps your cells to function properly and at their optimum. It’s actually helpful in weight loss. Now wait a minute, I know what you are thinking and many of you may take a supplement (Of which I highly discourage) to rid your body of extra fluids. And that may be true, but obesity research tells us that “pre-loading” with water before each meal actually helps reduce caloric intake. People who participated in a study by drinking two cups of water before meals lost an average of five pounds of fat more than those who didn’t over the course of the study. Drinking more water helps your body from holding onto water stores.
- Water helps metabolize fat cells. Think of your body as having many super fluid highways of blood, tissue, and fluids. The science behind what makes the highways fluid and flowing is called metabolism which is really the harvesting of energy by breaking down compounds like fats and protein and making the calories you take in usable for energy processes. This involves a lot more science than I can explain here, but water is a key component in making this all work together to keep the fat cells from accumulating inside your body.
- Water helps hydrate your body to keep your metabolism working efficiently. Dehydration makes your body slow down and makes you feel less energetic. Of course, water intake works directly with caloric intake and has proven results of boosting your energy level and your weight loss. So by pumping up the water, you are essentially pumping up your energy and metabolism level too!
- Last but certainly not least in importance is that water, water, and more water is so good for your kidneys. It keeps them functioning properly as they remove the wastes from your urinary tract, small and large intestines. Now this post has really gone there! BUT if you ever suffered from a kidney stone or an UTI, then you know how important this process is!
So I encourage you to consider drinking more water and making water your drink of choice. It will benefit your inside functions as well as give your skin that healthy glow. It’s not difficult or expensive to achieve this goal. You can start your day with 32oz. of water and work your way up to 64 oz. and then eventually drink half your body weight in ounces. Listen to your body…it will tell you best! Once you start on the fast track to success you will find that you actually crave more of this precious resource. The body is funny like that. We all have that inner thirst for what our bodies need. In general, the more active you are the more you should take in.
I don’t want you to get all crazy with it by any means. There is such a thing as drinking too much water.
Overhydrating is a serious issue as well. It can flush your body of needed electrolytes and thereby affect your brain function. Don’t go extreme! But you would have to drink a lot of water repeatedly to do that kind of damage. Remember one way to get lean in 2015 is to take in more of the important drink of the day. Water, cool, refreshing, natural water. Take a long drink before meals and see how hungry you are. It will change the way you feel, and change the way you look at your meals.
It’s a change we all can afford to make.
