Oh Water! I love you!
Many of us have heard that humans are approximately 75%-80% water; this percentage varies depending on age, body weight, health and sex. What doesn’t vary is the importance of drinking water throughout the day.
Some facts (as stated by the International Association of Wellness Professionals):
- 70% of Americans are dehydrated.
- We can survive more than one month without food but not more than 3 days without water.
- Caffeine; soft drinks, alcohol and other carbonated drinks are not substitutes for water.
We’ve heard over and over again the different benefits of drinking water, but I went ahead and did a little experiment of my own. I spent a week varying the amounts of water I drank during the day and wrote down the results.
Below are 7 things I noticed throughout the week:
- Drinking too little of it gave me a really bad headache; this is a sign of dehydration.
- The more I drank of it the more energy and concentration I had.
- Once you start drinking the right amount of water, your urine should start looking clear meaning you are eliminating toxins.
- I had no cravings on the days that I drank the right amount or a little more.
- Many times hunger was really thirst.
- Drinking it 30 minutes before my meals helped me have better digestion.
- Having a water bottle (BPA free preferably) or a glass of water with me at all times served as a reminder that I had to drink water.
Even though these are things that most of us had heard or already “knew,” it is important that we put the “drinking enough water” into practice.
How to calculate the amount of water we need to drink?
You can calculate the amount of water you should be drinking by taking your body weight and dividing it by two. The result is the minimum number of ounces you should be drinking each day.
Drinking water gets boring
I’ve heard that plenty of times. There are several options to spike things up in a healthy way:
- Squeeze a lemon or lime – these helps you detox as well
- Cucumber / Peppermint – sensation of coolness
- Throw in some soft fruits, like berries
- Drink naturally flavored water
- Herbal teas – they’re caffeine free and don’t dehydrate
If you were to drink caffeinated drinks, alcohol or other types of drinks, make sure to have double the amount of water than what you’re taking. For example, for each glass of wine, have two glasses of water. This will help you to avoid dehydration and you will replenish the nutrients that you have lost.
I assure you the following, drinking more water will give you:
- Less headaches
- Less wrinkles
- Better digestion
- Less dehydration
- Better skin
- And! it will help you keep lean or lose weight if that’s one of your goals.
Stay healthy, keep active, stay awake, and drink more WATER!
Have an amazing day!
Anadel Alberti
Founder of LAFStyle™, Certified Yoga Instructor for Adults and Kids, Co-Creator of the program “Enamórate de tu Cuerpo,” Motivational Speaker, entrepreneur, Photographer and world traveler.