7 Benefits of Drinking More Water

We should all drink more water.

It's one of the easiest, and cheapest, things we can do to help us lose weight and stay healthy.

*please check out the bottom of this article for ways to help others get access to clean water

7 Benefits of Drinking More Water

1. Increases Satiety (Feeling of Fullness)

  • Maybe drink a glass of water instead of going back for seconds
  • Less cravings, less boredom snacking, less overeating

2. Aids in Digestion / Waste Removal

  • Have you ever left oatmeal in the sink for a couple hours?
    • That’s what’s happening inside your stomach to your food when you don’t drink water
  • “Liquids help break down large chunks of food, making it easier for them to slide down your esophagus, into the stomach, and through the intestines.”

3. Helps You Lose Weight

  • Less Space for Calories
  • “In one study, dieters who drank half a liter of water (17oz) before meals lost 44% more weight, over a period of 12 weeks”
  • “Research also shows that drinking water may speed up your metabolism by about 24 calories for every 8 oz (500 ml) you consume”
    •  8oz of H20 = - 24 Calories

4. Improves Physical Performance

  • 60% of our body is made up of water | muscle is 80% water
  • When you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, when you’re dehydrated your performance drops
  • “decrements in physical performance in athletes have been observed under much lower levels of dehydration, as little as 2%”

5. Maintains Cellular Health

  • Essential for systemic homeostasis
  • “As undoubtedly the most important nutrient and the only one whose absence will be lethal within days, understanding of water measurement and requirements are very important.”

6. Keeps You Sane & Smart (Brain Power)

  • “Studies show that even mild dehydration (1-3% of body weight) can impair many aspects of brain function.”

7. Most Importantly...Prevents Hangovers

  • We all probably know this one too well...

Summary

There are many benefits of drinking more water.  It's an easy way to improve our health and quality of life.

So keep a water bottle at work and around the house.  Make it a part of your environment.  

Start developing habits to drink water upon waking and before meals.  

Listen to your body.  When you're thirst (or sometimes hungry), drink water!

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION

783 MILLION people lack access to safe water

As mentioned above, this is the body's most important nutrient.  And many don't even have the option to drink any of it, let alone enough.

Here's a list of some non-profit organizations that work to decrease this devastating environment:

“injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”
— martin luther king jr