Regardless of who you are, you probably know that you should be drinking more water.
EVERYONE knows that. From your grandmother to your dog, we’ve all had the message beaten into us for decades.
But while most people have at least some sense that they should be sneaking in a few more glasses of water throughout the day, most people have no idea why it’s important and what the benefits of actually doing it are.
Getting more water in will not only make you healthier in the generic sense, but it actually has some very specific, “hidden” benefits that will make you feel and even look better as well – and most of them are things that people don’t think of.
Benefit #1 – Better Skin
If you remember anything from your high school biology class, you know that your body is mostly comprised of water. – and that extends to your skin as well.
As part of the normal process of regeneration, your skin is constantly shedding and creating new cells. Since your cells (like the rest of you) are made mostly of water, it’s important that you’re drinking enough of it to keep your skin looking healthy and radiant.
But it will also help your skin in a number of other ways as well. Water is partly responsible for helping to flush away toxins, which can wreak havoc on your complexion. It will also help to keep your skin moist, improving (and preventing) the appearance of fine lines and blemishes.
Benefit #2 – Better Satiation
Almost all of us have, at some point or another, tried to lose weight. And almost everyone who’s tried knows that one of the biggest road blocks to doing it successfully is HUNGER. While there are a number of tricks and hacks to get around this, one of the easiest ones is to simply drink more water.
Water is highly “satiating” (i.e. it keeps you feeling full). There have been a number of explanations for why this is over the years, including one very popular theory which suggested that many of our hunger signal throughout the day are actually signs of dehydration.
While there’s not a lot of evidence to support that theory, there is one explanation that is indisputably true – water fills up the stomach.
Sounds incredibly simple, but it actually does make a big difference. One study found that subjects on a hypocaloric (or “low calorie”) diet who drank 16 fl oz. of water prior to meals had higher rates of fat loss (most likely due to consuming less food).
Benefit #3 – Less Water Retention
Have you ever gone out to a restaurant, eaten an incredibly salty meal, and then woken up 3 pounds heavier?
Yeah…so have we. The good news is this – the odds that you actually put on 3 pounds of fat overnight are highly unlikely. Chances are, this increase in weight is simply the result of water retention.
In case you’re unfamiliar with that term, water retention is exactly what it sounds like – it’s the body holding onto excess amounts of water. This can take on a number of forms, but the main one that many people notice is a general “puffy” appearance (a bloated face and belly being the most unsightly).
And when it comes to diet, consuming food with a lot of carbohydrates and salt is one of the main causes of a nasty round of water retention.
The good news is that this is almost always temporary. It can also be dramatically reduced (and prevented) by simply consuming more water, signaling to the body that there’s enough of it available, and causing it to “shed” the bloat it’s been holding onto.
Benefit #4 – May Improve Fat Loss
We’ve already covered the fact that water can have the effect of filling the stomach and reducing hunger. But it may also literally help you burn more fat as well.
While the research is still in the early stages and is definitely inconclusively, there have been a number of studies suggesting that water may help rev up your metabolism, due to the increased heat required by your body after you ingest it. The idea is that this thermic effect may help raise your basal metabolic rate, ultimately burning more calories in the longterm.
Again, it’s important to note that the results still aren’t conclusive. However, if you’re trying to lose weight and you’re finding yourself struggling to cut calories, drinking a bit more water certainly can’t hurt.
How Much Water Should I Be Drinking?
The old, standard advice used to be that you should drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day. While that’s certainly not a bad number to shoot for, if you do any kind of exercise or physical activity, you should really be drinking more.
If you really want to optimize your health and get the most out of it, try aiming for anywhere from 2/4 to 1 gallon of water per day (the exact amount will depend on a number of factors, including how much you sweat, and how big you are).
Choosing The Right Water
Water is the most essential thing that you consume – so it makes sense that you should go for quality.
It should go without saying that tap water is out – it has a number of chemical and pollutants that, while they won’t kill you, really won’t do much for your health.
Going for water that’s not only filtered, but alkalized, is the way to go. Kangen Water®, an anti-oxidant and alkaline rich form of water, has a number of critical minerals like magnesium and calcium. Not only that, it’s much better for hydration, ensuring that you stay healthy, hydrated and get all the benefits that come from drinking more water.