The Importance of Water for Living A Healthy Lifestyle
Did you know that the adult human body is made up mostly of water, averaging about 65 percent water? Drinking water does more than just quench your thirst. Water is essential for keeping your body functioning properly and feeling healthy. Some of the health benefits of drinking water include:
- Increased energy and less fatigue. Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert.
- Promotes weight loss.
- Flushes out toxins by getting rid of wastes through urination or through perspiration.
- Maintains regularity by getting rid of wastes through bowel movements.
- Improves skin complexion.
- Maintain a normal body temperature
- Lubricates and cushions joints
- Protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues.
So just how much water should you drink?
Most people need to drink about half of their weight (in pounds) in ounces. For example, a 200 pound adult needs approximately 100 ounces of water each day. However, your water needs will increase with any physical activity, so the rule of thumb would be to add 12 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of daily activity.
Healthy Habit Tip: Start to get in the habit of drinking two 8 ounce glasses of water, first thing upon rising in the morning. Practicing this habit not only will help you to drink enough water throughout the day, but will also help give your metabolism a boost!
What works best for you when keeping track of your daily water intake?
There are various ways to track your daily water intake. For some people, they like having a timed water bottle that keeps track for them throughout the day. Others find they like to use a water tracking app. The key is to find a method that works best for you. By setting goals and scheduling it, you will find that tracking your daily water intake soon begins to feel like a natural, healthy habit.
Healthy Habit Tips: As mentioned above, drink two glasses of water immediately after waking up. Have a goal of one glass of water every hour while at work (try using a timed water bottle or water tracking app and make it a fun game). When the workday is done, your water quota will be met, or close to it. Drink one glass of water before each meal and a second afterward.
What about the water from your shower head while showering?
Staying hydrated by drinking enough water is not the only reason water helps to keep us healthy. What we shower in is also important for healthy skin and hair fibers. Shower filters can be installed to remove chlorine and chloramines from shower water. Chlorine and chloramines are skin-damaging chemicals that permeate the skin and hair fibers. Many people filter drinking water to get rid of these chemicals, however, they may not be aware that they can actually filter their shower water, too.
Healthy Habit Tip: Be sure to change your shower filter according to the manufacturer. The shower filter can break down over time, and it will no longer be able to filter out the contaminants in your water. On average, a shower filter will last 6 months. However, the lifespan of the shower filter is heavily dependent on the frequency of use. Every shower filter will come rated to treat a specific capacity of water.
