Water, the elixir of life, has been around at least since the first organisms came into existence. It has provided life and nutrition to every single being that has ever walked, crawled, swam or flown over the face of the Earth.
In fact, it is so common in our lives that we have started taking it for granted and now need a bulleted list of reasons for why we must drink it…
Jokes aside, all of us know our basics: water is important for our existence; and that we must consume it in a certain quantity to stay healthy and energetic.
- Drinking water helps in losing weight
Drinking water tricks the brain into thinking that it is full. You may find this unfair to your hunger pangs but it is known to have worked wonders for people who have embarked upon a speedy weight loss journey. Logic for this comes from the fact that sometimes people confuse thirst for hunger and unnecessarily help themselves to extra servings of food and excess calories.
- Keeps you from throwing up during workouts
If you workout frequently, then you would know what we are talking about. Here is what really happens: during intense workout sessions, your body loses fluids quickly due to sweating. To help offset the loss of fluids, it is advisable to replenish the same by drinking sufficient amounts of water.
Once you know your rate of sweating, you can swiftly adjust the amount of water consumed before, during and after a workout to continue feeling energised and not like a bale of hay.
- It starts your mornings ‘smoothly’
Did you know that a significant number of constipation cases are because people just do not drink enough water?
As silly as that sounds, constipation is often caused by lack of fluids in the body. This is because the water normally combines with fibre in the large intestine to reduce transit and facilitate elimination. However, when you are dehydrated this process gets hindered and colon ends up extracting water from the stool to make up for the lack of fluids on the body.
- Do away with frequent headaches
Dehydration-related headaches and migraines are common in thousands of people.
The good news is that you can avoid these headaches by staying hydrated throughout the day. And, the bad news is that ridding yourself of these headaches by only drinking water takes a little longer than one would like.
- Keeps your kidneys in good shape
Kidneys do not get enough credit for the amount of work they do to keep systems running. These silent workers aid in regular removal of waste from our bodies, control blood pressure and balance fluids for smooth functioning of all the systems. Ample supply of water to the kidneys reduces their burden of filtering waste and keeps kidneys in perfect condition.
- Off sets fatigue
What does feeling tired really mean? The generic feeling of fatigue stems from over-worked muscles and lack of water in the body, which results in sluggish working of all the systems including your brain. To rid yourself of the low feeling, sip on some water and feel yourself re-energise almost instantly!
- Eases hangovers
Hangovers are caused when you have had too much to drink and your body is sucked dry of vital fluids. In order to offset extreme dehydration, try drinking a glass of water for every drink you down. Trust us…it’s really worth the extra effort. You will feel significantly chirpier and more alert the day after.
- Keeps your joints and cartilage in good condition
Cartilage in our body is almost 85% water and obviously needs sufficient amounts of water to stay healthy. In addition to cartilage, water also protects spinal cord and tissues from deteriorating.
- Feeling confused?
If you compare brain function in a well-hydrated body against dehydrated one, you will notice that the dehydrated body works twice as hard to perform the same functions. Reason? Our brain tissues shrink a bit and cloud our judgment leading to the extra effort.
- It’s the only liquid that quenches thirst
If you are a Coke or beer devotee then it’s understandable if your brain is yelling otherwise. But, we are glad to be smug here and reiterate, “water is literally the only liquid that quenches thirst.” Other beverages like carbonated drinks; juices and alcohol only offer temporary hydration before making you thirstier.
- Keeps you alive and going
Okay, this may not sound like much of an advice, but we think reiterating the importance of drinking water will only do more good. Water is the key to our existence. Our body requires 2-3 litres of water per day to sustain itself and perform optimally. All you have to do is to remember to consume this abundantly available resource every day to reap the benefits of hydrated vigour and alertness.
Note: Some people tend to go overboard with consumption of water, especially the health enthusiasts. Over-hydration throws off body’s balance of electrolytes and causes neural damage. Even though cases of water poisoning are rare, it is worth mentioning because excess consumption of water is seemingly harmless and easily overlooked.
P.S- Inspired through Dr. Swati Kapoor (Dietitian/Nutritionist)
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