How To Make Sure You’re Drinking Enough Water

Words: Katrina Rose Wind

We’ve all heard it before, ‘drink more water, it’s good for you’. It’s true though, drinking more water can help your skin, aid in weight loss, and help with digestion. Water really is just that amazing and we’re here to guide you on how to reap those water-benefiting rewards.

Why Water Is So Good For You

Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, meaning that water plays an important role in our bodies. It helps maintain the balance and function of bodily fluids, which include: transportation of nutrients in our bodies, helping our digestive system, maintaining our body temperature, creation of saliva, flushing bodily waste, aiding in skin health, delivering oxygen throughout the body, and is essential for kidney function.

Nutrients and minerals in our bodies dissolve in water, which makes it possible for them to reach different parts of the body. Water is also needed for our bowls to work properly. If you’re not drinking enough water you run the risk of becoming dehydrated, which can lead to digestive issues, an overly acidic stomach and constipation. All of these issues can increase the risk of stomach ulcers and heartburn.

drink more waterWhen it comes to water regulating our body temperature, it’s simple. When we sweat, the body heats up and releases water to the surface of the skin. When sweat starts to evaporate it cools the body down. However, if you’re not drinking enough water it’s likely that you won’t be able to tolerate that much heat.

Another thing that water does to help our body is that it creates saliva and if you didn’t already know, saliva helps us digest our food. It also helps keep our mouths, eyes and nose moist, which can help prevent damage and friction. Same goes for releasing of bodily waste, just like water is needed to create sweat (to regulate our body temp), it is also needed for the removal of faeces and urine.

Drink More Water: It Helps The Body More Than You Thnk

People who drink a lot of water love to tell you how their skin is glowing because of it but it’s true, drinking at least 8 glasses a day will help rid the body and skin of toxins. If you’re dehydrated, your skin can become vulnerable to premature wrinkling and skin disorders.

Another water-drinking benefit that you’ve probably heard is that it helps with weight loss. As stated above, drinking a lot of water flushes out toxins, which can help with weight loss, moreover, if you’re drinking more water than calorie-packed drinks, then you’re already on track to lose weight. Also if you’re consuming a lot of water-rich foods, those foods will help you feel fuller for longer.

Water also helps carry oxygen to different parts of the body, blood is more than 90% water and blood is what actually carries oxygen to different areas in our body. It can also help prevent kidney damage, kidneys regulate the fluid in our body and if you’re not drinking or consuming enough water, it can lead to major problems like kidney stones.

Six Tips On How To Drink More Water

Wake Up – Drink A Glass Of Water

drink more waterIt’s one of the easiest ways for you to get a glass of water in, but drinking water first thing in the morning actually has some benefits. Drinking water before your morning cup of coffee has shown to actually activate your digestive system. That glass of water can help hydrate your body after it’s gone several hours without any and can help your metabolism and digestion.

Set A Daily Goal

We know it sounds cliche but setting a daily goal can be motivating in itself. Once you start sticking to it, it will become a habit and you’ll no longer have to actively think about drinking water. Much like muscle memory, you’ll naturally be inclined to drink more water.

Flavour It If You Must

If you really don’t like the taste of water but are trying to wean yourself off calorific drinks then maybe flavouring your water is the way to go. There are loads of water enhancers in liquid or powder form out there but be careful of buying the ones with a lot of added sugars, it defeats the purpose of drinking water. There are a number of ready-made still and sparkling flavoured waters available on the market but look for the unsweetened ones. Another route you can go is buying a fruit-infuser water bottle, you can combine as many fruits as you want that suits your taste.

drink more waterYou can also make a big jug of rooibos or herbal tea and allow it to cool in the refrigerator (or with ice blocks). Have it at your desk and refill your glass throughout the day. Not only are you getting hydrated but you are also benefiting from all the antioxidants and other good qualities that rooibos has. To vary it up you can even try the various naturally infused flavoured ones as well, such as vanilla, honeybush, marula and fruit. You should preferably use rooibos or herbal and not regular tea as this contains caffeine which can be dehydrating.

Buy A Two Litre Bottle

Look, it doesn’t have to be a two-litre bottle but it does help in reaching that water-intake daily goal. Men should be drinking about 3.7 litres of water every day whereas women should be drinking around 2.7 litres every day. Having a big water bottle with you at all times is not only convenient but it makes it easier for you to consistently sip on water throughout the day.

Get A Water Filter

Drinking tap water is relatively safe in South Africa but some people can taste the difference and that could deter people from drinking more water. If you are concerned about the safety of drinking tap water as well, it might be time to consider buying a water filter. Think of all the money you’ll save in the long run not having to bulk buy water from the shops.

Eat More Foods With Water

drink more waterIf it’s just too hard to drink more water, stress not, you can also eat it. Vegetables and fruit have a high percentage of water in them and are also packed with minerals and vitamins that are beneficial to your health. So it really is a win-win! Veggies and fruits with the highest water percentage: watermelon (90%), strawberries (91%), cantaloupe (90%), peaches (89%), cabbage (92%), lettuce (96%), celery (95%), bell peppers (92%), cucumber (96%), tomatoes (94%), zucchini (95%).

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