Most people are well aware that drinking water is “good for you,” is a great way to quench your thirst after you exercise, or promotes healthy skin, but you may be surprised at the other health benefits that come along with proper water consumption.
Did you know that drinking water not only controls hunger but it also has been proven to speed your metabolism thus aiding in weight loss? A study done by The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates — or the rate at which calories are burned — increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes.
Want to get a better night’s sleep? Drink more water. The human body consists of between 80% to 60% water, varying from the most when you are born (in fact closer to 90%) and the least by the time you die. Indeed this simple observation shows that at the time we are most hydrated is when we sleep most soundly and for many hours; and when we are least hydrated it is frequently the case that we sleep for far less time than at any other in our lives. This large proportion of water is not only critical to the healthy function of the cells in our body, but especially important for the cells in our brain. In order for our body to be in total balance, we need to make sure that it is properly hydrated. This will not only help us to feel better overall, it will help us to sleep and to sleep well.
How much water should you drink do you ask? Well I am sure you have all heard the suggestion of “8 glasses of water a day.” Though this is better than not drinking any water at all, this methodology has evolved a bit over the years. A popular formula for making sure that your body is hydrated is to drink one half of your body weight in ounces of water on a daily basis. Before you faint at the suggestion, what this really means is half the ‘number’ of pounds in terms of ‘fluid ounces’ (not half your actual body weight!). So a 120 lb person would drink 60 fluid ounces a day — or three pints of water. Although, at first, this may seem a little bit of a challenge the reality is that if you can manage to steadily drink about half a pint every two hours or so it is easy to get into the routine of achieving! (Drinking faster will just send you to the restroom more often and before you absorb it, it will have passed through!).
Invest in a good water bottle that you know the volume of. I (Brandon) typically drink from a Nalgene bottle. I know that it holds a liter of water and I try to shoot for a minimum of 3 a day. I find it easiest to just keep it with you all day – whether you are at your desk working, driving to see a customer, or sitting in a data center, spread your drinking out all day to avoid taking in your daily consumption right before you go to bed (unless you enjoy waking up all night to use the restroom). I hope this was insightful. Bottoms up!
- 5 Easy Ways to get more H2O (water) (queenlyandconfident.com)
- H20 Life (tiffanyshairstudio.wordpress.com)
- Morning Lemon & Mint Water (sexydesiwraps.wordpress.com)
- Benefits of Drinking Water (breluxebeauty.wordpress.com)