Drinking water during the day was not something I thought much about prior to my journey toward health, I was living a dehydrated life and didn’t know it. You, too, may be dehydrated without realizing that you are.
Dehydration is not something we think about on a daily basis. We just go through the day and drink whenever we think about it. Studies have shown that approximately 75% of the population may be mild to moderately dehydrated. We become dehydrated when we do not consume enough liquid to replace the water that our body naturally loses during the course of the day.
We lose water all day long and staying hydrated is an important part of living a healthy balanced life.
I Was Dehydrated
I’m sure I lived most of my life either mildly or moderately dehydrated. I would drink 8 to 12 ounces of water before bedtime, but for the most part, I drank diet soft drinks, tea and coffee and not much of that during a normal day. I typically wouldn’t drink anything with a meal either. But, by bedtime, my body was screaming for something to drink.
The result of being dehydrated made me crave salty foods, which I would gorge on; my skin was dry and I’m sure my kidneys weren’t at optimal health.
Dehydration also causes your skin to become dry and wrinkled – and who wants wrinkles?
Staying Hydrated
We’ve heard it all of our lives – drink 8 glasses of water per day. Yet, how many of us actually accomplish this on a day-to-by basis? I know I didn’t. Just the thought of drinking that much water made me go the opposite way. I would try but just couldn’t force myself to drink plain water.
That was then – but not today.
Today I drink water all day long and I can honestly tell you that the health benefits are real. I had to start by adding some flavor enhancers, but now I enjoy just pure freshwater. My skin is smoother, I don’t crave salty snack foods, and my kidneys are functioning properly (the color of your urine determines the health of your kidneys).
As I have embarked on my journey toward wellness and health, I discovered that drinking water is not as horrible as I had imagined it would be. I had to be intentional to begin with, but now drinking water is a habit.
Begin when you wake up in the morning
When I get up in the morning I go to the kitchen and immediately drink 8 to 10 ounces of water.
This routine wakes the body up and gets the lymph system going.
When I return to the kitchen, after getting ready for the day, I drink two more glasses of water before I eat breakfast and have my morning coffee. I’ve been up for about an hour and a half and have drunk approximately 30 ounces of water.
By the time I leave the house, I have drunk another glass of water, which is about 40 ounces of water in a three hour time period, plus 10 ounces of coffee (thank goodness it is a short drive to the office).
Water During the Day
During the day I normally drink 32 to 48 ounces of water, just depends on how busy the day is.
When I return home, I drink another 8 to 10 ounces.
Another source of water is obtained by eating vegetables and fruits that are high in water content. I look at this as an added bonus of my total water consumption for the day.
Benefits of Drinking Water
I have definitely seen the benefits of drinking water throughout the day. I’m not one to calculate how many ounces I should be drinking, I just drink what I feel my body needs.
As I mentioned earlier, my skin is well hydrated and my urine is typically clear. There are many benefits to drinking plenty of water throughout the day and your good health depends on you starting this habit.
Your Challenge
It’s easy to let the day slip by without drinking a healthy amount of water, but my challenge to you is to become intentional about your water intake.
Set a goal and go for it.
Did you know that if your kidneys are not functioning at full capacity, your liver has to pick up the slack? So, if your liver is doing the work of the kidneys, then the work the liver should be doing doesn’t get done.
Result: bad health.
My goal is to share with you good health habits that are easy to implement in your daily routine. This habit is a low-cost habit to start – purchase a quality water bottle, keep it full of water, and drink your water throughout the day. Add a little lemon or lime juice to your water to give it some spark.
When the snack monster attacks during the day, guzzle some water instead of grabbing a snack and see how much your health and weight improves.
Let me know how drinking more water has benefited your health.
Are you ready to get started on your wellness journey? Healthy eating is just one step toward living a healthy balanced life. I’m here to help you get started on your journey toward Balanced Health. Schedule your 15-minute Healthy Habits Session today and discover how you can get started.