We should all be drinking about half a gallon of water a day – the equivalent of eight 8 ounce glasses.
Whilst you can get away with drinking much less than this without getting seriously dehydrated, there are many benefits to sticking to the 8x8 rule.
If you currently drink less than this, here are some reasons why you may want to up your water intake.
It can keep your skin looking young
Water is a vital ingredient for keeping our skin healthy. It can help to flush out toxins, giving our skin a more radiant look.
It can also help to provide moisture to our skin, combating dryness in order to prevent wrinkles.
It can help you lose weight
You must drink enough water to lose weight. This can often be the hidden factor holding many people back from getting slim.
Water speeds up your metabolism, suppresses the appetite and cleanses the body of waste. Alone it may not have much of an effect, but with dieting
and exercise its often an important added necessity.
It can help you gain muscle
If you’re trying to bulk up, you may also want to consider your water intake. Water helps to transport nutrients such as protein and glycogen to
the muscles, helping us to build muscle mass. If you’re working out without staying hydrated you may find that you’re not bulking up.
It can improve concentration
The brain is 85% water. Getting enough water throughout the day can help it work at it’s best, improving concentration and short term memory.
If you’re struggling to think straight, a glass of water could help to clear your mind.
It can cure a headache
Mild headaches can also often be cured by drinking lots of water. In fact, dehydration is the most common cause of day to day headaches.
Don’t always reach for the paracetamol straight away – water could be just as effective.
It can give you energy
Water can also help to energise us when we’re feeling tired. On top of giving the mind the concentration it needs, it can give our muscles and
joints more fluid movement. It’s far healthier than grabbing a coffee or an energy drink. Water is also a great hangover cure due to its ability to
flush alcohol out of our system.
It can ease inflammation
Water is also effective at easing inflammation. When it comes to painful joints and achy muscles, water can often act as a natural lubricant, allowing
more free movement and easing the feeling of tightness. Water can also help to fight inflammation caused by infection – by helping to flush toxins out of
our body it can help to fight everything from acne to the common cold.
It can improve your immune system
Drinking lots of water could even stop you getting an infection at all. Water is the vital ingredient that our immune system needs to flush out toxins.
It also helps to transport oxygen to our cells, including our white blood cells which help to fight off infections. If you feel like you’re getting the early signs
of a cold or a fever or sickness, drinking lots of water could help to keep the illness at bay.
It can aid your digestion
Our digestive system relies on having the perfect balance of water. Too little water is more common than too much and can trigger a number of conditions.
Drinking more water can help to keep our digestion working more efficiently again. In the case of constipation, it can help to make our stools easier to pass.
In the case of diarrhoea, it can prevent dehydration and help flush out toxins causing us to have the runs. It may even help to fight a stomach ache, restoring
our stomach acid to the right PH scale.
It can prevent urinary infections
Urinary infections are most commonly caused by not drinking enough water. These can make passing urine painful and even result in kidney pain.
If you’ve got a UTI, you’ll usually be advised by a doctor to keep drinking water to help flush the bacteria out. Consume enough water in the first place and
you may never have to deal with a UTI at all.
Going to the kitchen to grab a glass of water right now!
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