H2O
A goal that I am working on every day is to drink more water. Do you struggle with that too? I read every where about the health benefits of drinking more water, especially for our skin and bodies - but find myself daily reaching for a coffee or tea (iced and hot) rather than water. I find it fascinating that a lot of times when we think we are hungry we are actually dehydrated! And as someone who has very dry, itchy skin, plumping up my cells and skin with water will aid in keeping my dry skin at least more hydrated, and hopefully more youthful.
I am not a sugary drink person - though I will say a Coca Cola with ice on a hot day is simply a wonderful treat!! But as I get older, I see the necessity to keeping myself hydrated and am trying to retrain my habits. I would like to get myself drinking at least 5 glasses a day - and I think most experts agree that one should be drinking at least 8 glasses.
I know a blog post about water isn’t necessarily sexy - but it is something that a lot of us over look when we are talking about our beauty routines. Here are some of the health benefits of water on your skin and body - and why we need to stay hydrated all day long:
60% of our body is made up of water and our blood is 90% water.
Water lubricates our joints - important as we get older and cartilage issues begin to happen. Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints' shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain. - Medical News Today
When you are dehydrated you are more susceptible to skin issues and and wrinkles.
Water helps with brain function.
The bowels needs water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation, and an overly acidic stomach. This increases the risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers. - Medical News Today
Flushes out body waste and toxins and prevents kidney damage.
Water may also help with weight loss, if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and sodas. "Preloading" with water before meals can help prevent overeating by creating a sense of fullness. - Medical News Today
They say the first thing you should do when you get up is drink a nice big glass of water - think about it: you haven’t hydrated for 8 hours while sleeping - your body is dehydrated, so try to make water the first drink of the day before a caffeinated drink!
Some tricks to finding water more ‘interesting’ as a drink: add berries, cucumber or lemon. Tell us your tricks. for drinking more water!
Happy Fall!