Benefits of Drinking Water

I believe that one of THE best things that you can do for your health is to increase your water consumption. It’s an area that I think too many of us overlook, myself included.

Both our bodies and our planet are comprised of about 70% water. It’s vital for our survival.

Nothing feels better than drinking a big glass of water. It flushes out the system, helps the kidneys and makes your skin look great. It even makes me feel less hungry.

Now, experts say that you should drink a minimum of 8 eight ounce glasses a day. That’s 64 ounces or a half gallon. If you’re not used to monitoring your water consumption or drinking that much water, this can seem like a lot. Try this calculator to see how much water you should be drinking.

Here are some tips to help you get to the point of easily drinking this much water and more.

• Buy a water bottle that is at least 16 ounces, you will need to drink and refill this a total of four times throughout the day to reach your goal. Make tick marks to remind yourself how many you’ve had, maybe on your calendar so you can see your progress from day to day.
• Set your phone or other alarm. Pick a few times during the day to stop and take a ‘drink break.’ When your alarm goes off, drink 8 to 16 ounces. Do this a few times, and you’ll reach your quota in no time.
• Drink even when you aren’t thristy. Actually, when you are thirsty, you’re already heading towards dehydration. You want to keep yourself from reaching that point.
• Drink water even when it feels hard. The first few days can be a big adjustment. If you are not used to drinking much water, you might have to force yourself. But soon, it will be no problem. Just stick with it and push through. You’ll be up to the limit in no time and noticing the benefits quickly.
• Cut back on other liquids. Unfortunately, drinking other beverages such as soda, sports drinks, Crystal Lite or even juice don’t count towards your overall water total. And some drinks such as coffee, caffinated teas and alcohol count against you. To get the full benefits, you need to drink 64 ounces of pure water, with nothing added.
• Remember, if you are working out a lot, or are spending time outdoors in the heat, you need to increase your water consumption even more.

Nothing is better for you and can bring as many immediate and long lasting benefits as the simple act of drinking enough water everyday.