Drink plenty of water. People always say this, just like they say that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but does it actually have any benefits? After all, it can be easy to think that something so simple won’t deliver on its promises and that keeping healthy is more complicated.
However, drinking water throughout the day has actually been proven to help you feel and look better.
Feel more alert and energised
Doctors tell us that plenty of water is vital. Most of the chemical reactions that happen in human cells have to happen in water. Ninety per cent of your brain is made up of water. It’s because of this that drinking lots of it helps to keep your body and your brain functioning really well. This protects against a sluggish feeling and keeps you energised, alert and able to concentrate better.
Watching your weight?
Water is an incredible aid to losing weight and controlling how much you eat. Drinking plenty of water helps to keep your stomach full, so you don’t feel hungry and don’t need to snack as much. It also flushes out any water you’re retaining, which helps with weight loss. Don’t forget, it also has zero calories, so you don’t need to worry about hidden fats or sugars.
Maintain a glowing complexion
Your skin contains a lot of water and needs to keep hydrated. Not drinking enough can dry your skin out and increase the appearance of wrinkles. Keeping your water bottle topped up means your skin stays more moisturised and supple. It’s Mother Nature’s best anti-ageing remedy!
Keep yourself regular…
As well as eating fibre, drinking plenty of water keeps everything flowing through your digestive system properly, so your bowels stay regular and you can stay comfortable. It also helps to dissolve fats and some fibres. Not drinking enough disrupts this and can lead to bloating and constipation.
And keep your kidneys happy
Your kidneys work really hard to filter waste out of blood and transport that waste down to your bladder to dispose of. But kidneys need a lot of water to do this job properly. Not drinking enough over a long period of time can also cause long-term damage to your kidneys, so drinking plenty of water is advised to help protect against problems such as kidney stones.
Headache horror
Having a headache, even a just a mild niggling one, can make the smallest tasks seem like a huge effort. If these progress to migraines, you can feel so awful that you can’t face the day. Becoming dehydrated increases the chances of headaches and migraines as our brains can only function properly with enough fluid.
Keep drinking water throughout the day and you shouldn’t feel the need to reach for the painkillers.
(This also helps if you’ve had a bit too much alcohol the night before as water is one of the best and most reliable hangover cures!)
Last but certainly not least… save money
Tap water or water from the office cooler is free! By saving yourself the £2 or £3 you could spend on fruit juices or Costa coffees, you could put your extra cash towards other treats or hobbies.
Enjoy water every day as a plain drink or add your own flavourings. However you like it, drinking water is such an easy way to improve your health, your beauty and even your bank balance.
Mike Baily Griffths is the National Accounts Manager for UK’s leading water cooler supplier – Cooleraid.