Stay Hydrated

Water is our body’s main ingredient and essential to our health. Drinking enough water is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your wellbeing.  By the time we actually feel like we are thirsty, our bodies are dehydrated so it is better to sip water regularly throughout the day to make sure we don’t get to the point of dehydration.

So how much water should a person drink per day? Even a slight decrease in the amount of water you need for the day can have a negative effect on your performance and concentration!  Water has so many health benefits and ensuring you get enough can affect your body in many ways:

• Water keeps your skin well hydrated and can have a positive effective on many unwanted skin conditions such as eczema and dry skin.
   

• It has natural anti-aging benefits and can help plump out the skin and keep those wrinkles at bay.
   

• Although our bodies are excellent at getting rid of unwanted toxins, drinking plenty of water helps this process by flushing them through.  If you suffer from constipation or irritable bowel, water will also help greatly by helping the gut and bowel work more efficiently.
   

• Water retention can be helped by drinking more water.  When we retain water, it can be that our bodies are in survival mode because it is not getting enough on a regular basis.  Sipping water throughout the day will help your body pass water through more efficiently.
   

• If you suffer regularly from headaches, general fatigue or energy dips throughout the day this could be a result of dehydration - you may feel a big difference from drinking water regularly throughout the day.
   

• Dehydration can also cause mood swings so if you find yourself getting irritable or impatient with people or events, staying well hydrated can help regulate your moods.
   

• The symptoms of thirst and hunger are very similar.  This is why so many experts recommend trying a glass of water first if you feel hungry – not as a another diet technique to delay eating but to ensure that it is truly hunger that you feel and not thirst.

We also get a certain amount of water from other food and drinks that we consume throughout the day.  This is why you can sometimes feel like you are not drinking much water but do not feel thirsty.  The foods containing the most water are fruit and vegetables and including plenty of these in your diet can up your water intake as well as provide you with plenty of other nutrients.  Even caffeinated drinks provide some fluid and reports are now claiming that drinking a few cups of tea a day can really benefit your health although water is still one of the best and easiest sources out there.

If you are not a big fan of water, you can still get your fluid intake through other drinks such as herbal teas and sugar free juices may suit you or adding a slice of lemon to you water to give it more of a zesty tang!

However you drink it, there is no getting away from all the positive benefits that water provides so it is well worth ensuring that you include plenty in your daily routine.