Drinking water daily is a chore for some. Not as tasty or fizzy as soda, water can be rather boring, but that’s only at first glance. As more Americans become health conscious and the trend to curb sugary carb-heavy soft drinks rises, water and its advantages are becoming more widely known. According to WedMD, the benefits are quite extraordinary.
From better cognitive function to a healthier physical appearance, water is just as essential as the air you breathe. You may not need 10 glasses of water a day, but it is important to your overall health. Following are five reasons to ditch that soda can and reach for some refreshing H2O.
1. Gives You Energy
Water doesn’t just get you going, it energizes your cells and helps to manage your overall well-being. As such, you should try to drink as much water as possible. Here’s the trick: Your body’s cells require a good balance of electrolytes to keep your cells charged. This means your body and mind can function at peak performance given the right amount of hydration. Water is key to this.
2. Keeps Your Skin Lovely
Drinking more water should make your skin look radiant. Though it won’t erase wrinkles, you’ll see a healthier appearance. Don’t forget hydrating foods, including watermelon and lettuce, which make up about 20 percent of your daily water intake. Some might even say you’ll have a “glow.” More water’s going to mean healthier-looking skin.
3. Helps Maintain Your Weight
If nothing else, we should all be health conscious enough to watch our weight. Water, while not associated with weight loss, can help you maintain it. An increase in water doesn’t necessarily mean a drop in pounds, but a combination of cutting back on carbs and sugary foods, coupled with regular exercise, might help to keep things balanced. Your daily water regimen can not only curb your hunger to prevent overeating, it’ll also help keep your gastrointestinal tract properly functioning to help stave off constipation.
4. Keeps Your Mind Sharp
Have an important project, test or day ahead of you? Try drinking water. Your brain requires quite a robust amount of electrical activity, and water’s needed for the brain’s production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Your brain is 85 percent water, so the best way to feed it is to water it by keeping a constant intake.
5. Balance Your Fluids
Because your body is composed of about 60 percent water, it’s crucial to keep a good balance of those fluids. By the way, alcohol will not hydrate you, even if it looks refreshing. Stick with water, juice, milk, coffee or tea. Alcohol sends mixed signals to your brain and kidneys, causing excess excretion of fluids and leading to dehydration.
Drinking more water is important to your health, and like most things, it might take some practice. Keep trying. Make it a habit. The advantages far outweigh the few disadvantages.
BIO: Alicia Lawrence is a content coordinator for a tech company and writes for Examiner.com and AskMissA.com. Her husband is a personal trainer and as a family they make it a top priority to live healthy.
