5 DAYS OF 5 "FAVES" DAY 4: WATER

WATER

THE GOOD HEALTH FACTS ON WATER AND WHY I FOLLOW THE 8 x 8 “RULE”

I work with many clients who come to me seeking help for a vast array of symptoms and complaints and when they sound something like this:

Tired and lethargic
Dry skin and hair
Headaches
Constipation and digestive problems

My first thought is that the person is not getting enough water and is dealing with symptoms of dehydration.

Water ranks up there with oxygen as one of our absolute “must have’s”, like oxygen we can not survive long without it. That's why I always ensure that I'm getting at least eight 8 oz glasses of good quality drinking water every day.

Though it sounds too simple to be true, there are several reasons why drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day can help you release excess weight.

How water helps with weight loss

When you are well hydrated, your organs are able to perform more optimally. This allows your metabolism to speed up, which means you’ll burn calories more quickly. Even mild dehydration will slow down your metabolism.
Natural waste is produced in your body each day from basic functions such as breathing and digesting food. Getting rid of these toxins can be helpful for weight loss, because toxins are stored in fat cells. Water is a great way to flush toxins out of your body.
When you are dehydrated, the blood volume in your body is reduced. Decreased blood volume levels results in lower energy levels, which makes it difficult for you to stay active.
By drinking more water, you’ll naturally end up drinking fewer high-calorie, sugary drinks.

By simply drinking more water, you may notice that you become less hungry.

One glass of water ended midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters participating in a University of Washington study.

Brenda Davy, Ph.D., completed a research study at Virginia Tech, and found that drinking water before meals can help you to lose weight and keep it off. In her study, the subjects that drank water before meals lost an average of 4 pounds more than the group that did not drink water before meals.

To supercharge your weight loss, make sure that your water is cold instead of room temperature. Cold water causes thermogenesis, which increases the expenditure of energy and helps you to burn fat faster. Researchers found that your metabolism is boosted within 10 minutes of drinking cold water, and those benefits can remain for at least 30 or 40 minutes.

How Much Water Do You Need Each Day?

Our aim should be eight 8 oz glasses of good quality drinking water per day. This amount does vary from person to person and is dependent on our weight, age, activity level, the outside temperature and our dietary choices.

You can monitor your water intake based on the color of your urine. If your urine is bright yellow, then it means that you need to drink more water. If it is a pale yellow color, then you are probably getting enough water each day. Keep in mind that there are other factors that can impact your urine color, such as certain supplements, vitamins, and medications.

Check out an earlier post for more information: Are Your Beverage Choices Lending To Dehydration?

Making Your Water Tasty

If you are someone who doesn't enjoy drinking water, then you might consider adding other ingredients to give your glass of water a slight flavor. You can flavor your water with natural ingredients, such as lemon, lime, orange, cucumber, mint leaves, strawberry slices, or pineapple chunks.

I make my own great and easy water infuser out of a Mason jar, you can purchase the lid and infuser that is specially made to fit any size mason jar. Just screw the infuser onto the underside of the lid and place on the Mason jar.

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