5 Reasons to Drink More Water

Drink Up! 5 Reasons to Drink More Water. 

In high school I moved from the Pacific Northwest to a suburb of Houston, TX. After the initial culture shock, I found myself wondering if I would ever adjust to the mind-bending heat and humidity of Texas summers which seemingly started in March and ended sometime after Halloween. Have you ever dried off with a towel only to grab another towel and dry off the sweat that’s already leaving your body not even 10 mins post shower? Have you ever walked out the double automatic doors from the artificial, arctic induced climate of the WalMart and felt like you’re stepping into somebody’s mouth? Have you ever gotten into your car and burned your hand on the steering wheel because you forgot to put the sun visor on? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you probably know all about the importance of hydration. Or maybe not… but it was my first summer in Texas that I became very aware of how much water I wasn’t drinking. To quote a famous water expert, “Water is the essence of wetness and wetness is the essence of beauty.” Ok that doesn’t really apply here but I was really just dying to throw in this Zoolander quote. Regardless of where you grew up or how hot the interior of your car is during the summer, hydration is something almost all of us could improve upon. In fact, 75% of American adults suffer from chronic dehydration drinking only 2.5 cups per day on average. Dehydration as little as 1% can have negative effects on our mood, organ function and cognitive abilities! 

Here are five reasons to reach for your water bottle and stay mad hydrated.

1. Improve Energy Levels and Brain Function- Staying hydrated will help stave off headaches and keep your energy levels up. Even if you’re just mildly dehydrated, you’re 114% more likely to make an error, which is similar to drinking low levels of alcohol.
2. Aids in Digestion- We hate to talk sh!# but staying hydrated can keep that digestive system running smoothly. It’s recommended that women drink 2.7 liters of water per day and men drink 3.7 liters per day. Water also helps your body absorb nutrients into the bloodstream and deliver them to your cells.
3. Improve Skin- Drinking the recommended amount of water can help flush toxins from your skin, improving skin tone. Prevent premature aging by boosting elasticity 
4. Strong Immune System- Supporting the immune system is more important now than ever before. It’s easy to stress out and turn to dehydrating vices like coffee and alcohol but our immune system is highly dependent on the nutrients in our bloodstream and our bloodstream is made up of mostly water. Hydration is also crucial for our detoxification pathways, helping to drain the lymphatic system and rid the body of toxins and foreign invaders. 
5. Elevate your Mood- Some studies have shown that dehydration is linked to depression and anxiety. 85% of brain tissue is water, when the body is dehydrated, the brain puts out less energy which can exacerbate fatigue and negative emotions associated with it. Increasing water intake can improve overall happiness, calmness and alertness. 

Hydration along with limiting stress, getting adequate sleep, exercising and eating a nutrient dense diet are key factors to keeping your body in homeostasis. So you’re wondering, how much water should you be drinking to maximize the benefits of staying hydrated? The general rule of thumb is 2oz for every pound of body weight. IE. if you weigh 150lbs you should be drinking at least 75oz of water every day. Make this ritual more fun by splurging on a nice water bottle or adding fresh squeezed lemon or cucumber slices. Drink up!