I was listening to a podcast the other day (my that makes me sound so millennial) that talked about the importance of drinking water and staying fully hydrated. I feel like everywhere I look we are constantly being told to drink more water, drink half your weight in ounces, or drink all your weight in ounces. If I get overwhelmed with trying to keep up, I know you are too. So let’s break it down and figure out why hydration is so important.
Water is chemically represented as H2O which means there are 2 Hydrogen atoms for very 1 Oxygen atom. The bonds between the Oxygen atom and each of the Hydrogen atoms is a polar covalent bond which means the electrons are shared between the atoms with an uneven distribution. Our bodies are comprised of about 62% water. The Earth’s surface is 71% water. It is everywhere, obviously!
Hydration is key for maximizing our physical performance. When we are dehydrated our body’s get effected even if we lose 2% of total water content in our body. That sounds like so little but it can really do so much damage. The small amount can affect how our body regulates temperature, reduces motivation and increases fatigue. With proper hydration, you can reduce the risk of these effects tremendously.
Our energy levels get severely effected when we are dehydrated. Energy levels can include our mood too. But what happens most often is an increase in headaches and a decrease in brain and memory performance.
One of the more important things of staying hydrated to me is the relief of constipation. (I don’t mind poop talk and if you do…I’m not sure we can be besties any longer…) Anywho, staying hydrated keeps your flow regular so remember to drink your water.
Next up is taking care of kidney stones and moving them along faster. Kidney stones are minerals that accumulate in the kidneys. By drinking more water, you can increase the urine going through them which dilutes the concentration of the minerals in the kidneys making it less capable to form stones.
Staying hydrated can help with being hungover. Since alcohol is a diuretic it causes you to use the restroom more and lose more liquid from our body that leads to dehydration. For every drink you have, you should drink a glass of water to stay properly hydrated.
And finally I think the one that is being spread the most is hydration’s help with weight loss. Drinking more water can lead to our metabolic rate to increase which helps us to lose weight! We can suppress our appetites by drinking a glass of water thirty minutes before eating to help you feel more full. What I found fascinating is the research on how people who drink cold water expend more energy because the body has to heat the water up burning more calories.
Basically friends…drink your water. It’s important. But on the serious note, it can be really beneficial to your overall well being to be hydrated.
If you want to start yourself on a path to stay more hydrated, start with drinking a glass every hour. You can label a water bottle for every 8 ounces which is always helpful! Then move up from there. But you can over hydrate yourself so try to not go over 3 cups an hour I’d say. Again I’m not a doctor but I like to give you all the information I find.
Hope this is helpful!!
Xoxo, Z
