Benefits of Water
The body is made up of about 70 percent water, which plays a vital role in nearly every bodily process; water is essential for proper digestion and circulation, numerous chemical reactions, nutrient absorption, waste elimination and flexibility of the blood vessels. It regulates body temperature and benefits the skin by acting as an internal moisturizer, keeping the skin moist, supple and clear, as well as preventing premature aging due to toxic buildup.
Many people believe all liquids supply adequate hydration. Not true! Some beverages tend to dehydrate because of their caffeine and sugar content. Caffeine in particular, has a diuretic effect on the body, which makes you urinate more frequently than you usually need to—very counter—productive to proper hydration. Essentially you are losing more fluid than you take in.
Drinks such as coffee, milk and juice all require water from the body to be properly digested. Alcohol and some medications can lead to increased fluid loss as well. In the end, there is no substitute for water in providing the body what it needs for optimal cellular function.
Here are some reasons to drink water:
Healthy skin
Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.
Cleansing
Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. And saving from kidney stones
Energy
Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
Better exercise
Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.
Weight loss
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie
drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a
great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty.
Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.
Heart healthy
Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.
Headache cure
Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
Digestive problems
Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).
Cancer risk
Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.
How to drink properly?
Drink regularly throughout the day. It doesn't make a lot of sense to drink the required 2 liters all at once since our digestive system can only handle 0.2 liters of liquid every quarter of an hour.
Right after you get up in the morning drink a glass of water to wake your body and mind up.
Before each meal drink a glass of water to have enough water to digest your food. After half an hour later you should drink again.
Before and after doing exercises (even if you cleaning) drink plenty of water.
