31 Days to a Better Body: Day 8 – Drink (enough) Water
I know. Shocking.
But guess what? I’m not going to tell you to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Nor am I going to rattle off the benefits of drinking water. There are no shortage of articles touting the importance of drinking water and plus I know you’re informed.
Besides, science is conflicted (imagine that) on exactly how much water we need. The standard recommendation is 8 glasses a day but there are some people who say 8 glasses of water are unnecessary.
What I do know is what works for my body. I know how I feel when I drink enough water and how I feel when I don’t drink enough.
The Benefits of Drinking Water
When I drink enough water I….
get less headaches.
have more energy.
feel stronger and faster.
have smoother skin.
eat less.
have regular bowel movements.
have a flatter tummy.
weigh less.
When I don’t drink enough water I…
get irritable.
eat more than my body needs.
feel sluggish during workouts.
get headaches.
feel bloated.
weigh more.
have more lines on my face.
When I trained for my figure competitions, I drank a gallon of water a day because that was what I was read I should do. Since hanging up the heels, I’ve become much less regimented. Now, I drink water because I love it (Seriously it’s my favorite drink…I’m exciting like that.) and I like the way it makes my body feel and my skin look. The amount of water I drink varies from day to day. If it’s hot out, I drink more. If I sweat a lot, I drink more. If I eat out, I drink a lot more. If I’m eating an abundance of raw fruits and veggies, I drink less. If I’m laying around like a slug, I drink less.
Four Simple Habits that Help Me Drink Enough Water
1. I drink a large glass upon waking up.
2. I always carry a water bottle with me.
3. I eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit.
4. I listen to my body’s thirst signals.
Do you drink enough water? Do you have any habits that help you drink enough water?
Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn
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I usually drink enough water when I’m home. But when I’m traveling or away from home more than usual, it’s easy to forget… I have found that I need to be extra vigilant to drink enough then. Thanks for the reminder!
Glug glug glug….
I have my watch timer set to go off ever hour and 10ish minutes to remind me to drink water — I’m THAT forgetful to rehydrate. It’s not always convenient to drink, but at least it is a reminder and it’ll catch me the next hour, again. I haven’t measured how much I consume — just what feels right. And, oh, sometimes it is just.so.goooood. (I love water, too!)
At 42, I’m experiencing over-active bladder stuff (gotta go NOW! Move out of the way!). Anyway, I’ve noticed I’m in much better control when hydrated. Yeah, the more I drink, the less frantically I have to go. You’ve probably heard that dehydration causes muscles to spasm. My guess is that it’s no different for bladder muscles.
Can I dispel a common “diet trick” I hear often? Even Dr. Oz recommends it (or used to). I haven’t heard you suggest it, but in case your readers have heard it somewhere…
Save your drinking between meals. Don’t drink a big glass of water right before you eat. It’s often been suggested to down a tall glass of H2O right before eating as a manipulation to “trick” your body into thinking it’s not hungry or to feel fuller faster. Tricking it just does it a disservice (it’s trying to tell you it needs nutrition and energy). Also, drinking right before eating dilutes the digestive acids — acids needed to properly digest your food. Take sips, if you need to, to help the food go down. And of course, drink if you’re thirsty if it’s an extra-salty meal. Just don’t trick it.
Okay, I wrote a ton (or 240 gallons).
Glug
I definitely drink less than I used to because I don’t believe that I need as much as that 8 glasses per day I used to buy into. I don’t panic if I don’t remember my water as I run errands. It depends on how salty my food has been, how sweaty my workout was etc etc. So I don’t panic. But I do love drinking ice cold water when I’m home. I just need to keep an eye on it because nothing spells a good time for a cat like knocking over a full tumbler of water onto a computer 😕