Hydration this Summer!

Summer is almost here and WATER is all we need to stay hydrated and fresh! But did you know that water does more than just hydrate your body?

To start with, dehydration can in fact make you feel drained, depleted and very fatigue. Water can help your blood transport oxygen and essential nutrients your cells need. If you are getting enough water, your health also doesn’t need to work as hard to pump your blood throughout your body, thus helping your blood pressure!

If you are trying to lose weight, waters revs up your metabolism and helps you feel full. It can actually smartly replace high caloric drinks, it can be used to attenuate cocktails and drinks high caloric content, and if you drink a glass before meals, water can help you feel fuller and hence eat less! Drinking more water also helps speed up your metabolism - especially if your glass is icy cold. Your body must work to warm the water up, burning a few extra calories in the process.

Water can also help lower your stress! Because the brain is 85% water, if you are dehydrated, both your mind and body will spike with tiredness. Now if you are feeling thirsty, bad news is that you are already dehydrated because thirst is a late sign of dehydration! If you are pretty busy at work or studying, keep a small bottle or glass of water next to you and sip on it regularly.

Drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and lubricates joints in the body. When you’re well hydrated, you can exercise longer and stronger without feeling extra soreness or experiencing spasms!

Water will also replenish your skin! Wrinkles are prone to increase with dehydration thus water in nature’s own beauty cream. Drinking water hydrates skin cells and plumps them up, making your face look younger. It also flushes out impurities and toxins, improving circulation and blood flow and leaving your face clean, clear, and glowing.

Water dilutes the salts and minerals in your urine that form the solid crystals known as kidney stones. So drinking enough water during the day can simply help you avoid kidney stones problems!

Last but not least, to adopt healthier eating habits, along with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, aka rich in fibers, you gotta drink enough water needed for good digestion! Water helps dissolve waste particles and passes them smoothly through your digestive tract.If you’re dehydrated, your body absorbs all the water, causing an increased risk of constipation!

So, are you drinking enough water?

It is best to drink 30 mL per kilogram of your weight per day! Divide them throughout your day and know that if you are exercising, feverish, living in a humid or hot weather, you might need to increase your water intake even more!

You can also have up to 3 cups (250 mL each) skimmed or low fat milk/yogurt per day, a maximum of 1 cup of freshly squeezed juice (equivalent to 2-3 whole fruits) and 3 cups of preferably unsweetened coffee or tea per day!

Info brought to you from www.webmd.com