5 Benefits Of Drinking Enough Water

We all know the importance of drinking enough water. I personally can remember learning in elementary school that the human body is made mostly of water — around 60% if we’re getting into the details. Taking it back to elementary school, I don’t know about you, but I was floored when I heard that number. In that same lesson — I also remember hearing something like… “and that’s why you need to make sure you drink plenty of water.”

We all know it, but for many of us we don’t apply that knowledge. Around 75% of Americans walk around in a dehydrated state every single day. That’s a lot of people! And while it’s not a level of dehydration that requires the need for intravenous fluids or hospitalization, it create negative physical impacts that could be negated by simply drinking more water.

While water is the most hydrating fluid for your body, the good thing is that your daily water consumption doesn’t have to come strictly from water. You can get your water from:

• juice,

• soups,

• fruits,

• vegetables,

• or anything that has any type of water content

The downfall of getting your daily water intake from sources other than strictly water is that you also add calories from those other sources. You have to be sure that the water intake you get from juice, for example, isn’t adding hundreds of calories to your day without actually providing you any fuel.

Let’s talk about what being dehydrated does to your body.

Think about an average day — one where you know you haven’t consumed enough water. Around 2 pm - 3 pm you might starting feeling a little drag, maybe a slight headache. What’s a go-to for many people? Time for a cup of coffee or a caffeine boost, right? These are actually some of the earliest cues that you’re dehydrated. It’s not the feeling of being thirsty, that comes later. We’ll get there. 

Pretty crazy that when our brain is subtly telling us to hydrate we go toward a diuretic (i.e. coffee) as the solution. I’ve been there before. What’s important is that we use what we know and start doing something differently — drinking water.

Long-term impacts of chronic dehydration

Studies have shown that chronic dehydration can have impacts on the kidneys, leading to kidney stones and decreased function, the digestive and intestinal system, hypertension, the urinary tract — leading to infections, and even dementia, in addition to making us just not feel our best day-to-day. That’s enough to make we want to drink more water. Feeling the same?

What about the benefits of drinking enough water?

We know what not having enough water does, so let’s focus on what happens when you turn it around and start increasing your daily water intake. 

1. Increased Energy

How would you feel if you had just a little more energy throughout your day? Even a little more can make a big difference. We discussed earlier that one of the first hints your brain gives you when you’re dehydrated is a feeling of decreased energy or fatigue. If a bottle or two of water can remedy that, it’s worth the drink. You can’t be at your best when your energy is lacking. It impacts all areas of life, from work, to family, to play. 

2. Better Digestion 

As a starting point, water helps to break down food in your stomach, and in turn leads to better nutrient absorption. When it comes to elimination, being hydrated helps soften stools and in turn, making bowel movements easier and reducing constipation. According to Dr. Jacqueline Wolf, water is a necessary component of a bulkier stool, in addition to fiber, and that helps the stool move efficiently through the gastrointestinal tract. Drink up!

3. Improved Skin 

Drinking water helps flush toxins from your body. And though drinking a glass of water doesn’t mean your skin is going to immediately become more dewey, the cells that make up your skin, the largest organ in your body, need water to function properly at their best — so drinking water certainly doesn’t hurt. 

4. Weight Loss

I’ve heard many times that people think they weigh more because they drank too much water. Well if you step on the scale immediately after drinking let’s say 30 ounces of water, yes, you will weigh more. But if you’re weighing once a week and drinking plenty of water, I can all but guarantee you that an increase in weight is not due to your water intake. Now if you’re factoring juice and other foods into your water intake measurement, that’s a different story. But if it’s just plain ‘ol water, you won’t gain weight because of it. 

It’s actually the opposite! First, water is filling, so if you drink it with and around meals, it will actually, in most cases, cause you to eat less food. In addition —remember those digestive benefits? Those come in handy here. Water helps your body more effectively and efficiently eliminate waste, which is extremely important when it comes to weight loss. 

5. Better Cognitive Performance

Increased energy alone will lead to better cognitive performance, and that’s a major benefit of drinking enough water. A 2018 study of athletes found that dehydration contributed to impairment “tasks requiring attention, motor coordination, and executive function, which includes things like map recognition, grammatical reasoning, mental math, and proofreading.”  

Our bodies need water. The body is smart and does a lot to try to tell us when we’re not drinking enough water. Now that you know that being thirsty isn’t the first clue you’re looking for, become more aware. And listen! Over time, not drinking enough water can do great harm to your body. If you need to carry a gallon bottle around, do it. If you’re more apt to drink water if you have a cute bottle, get one. Need flavor? Add so fruit or vegetables. Keep of tally of how much water you’ve had on a piece of paper or in your favorite tracking app. 

How much water is enough each day?

Every body is different, so there’s no one set amount. You’ve probably heard the eight 8-ounces per day rule. That’s a fine place to start. But, a better measure as a starting point is half of your body weight in ounces each day. So if you weight 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces per day. Start there. Do it consistently. Then, if you feel like you need more, start increasing your daily intake.

The ultimate goal is to drink enough water on a consistent, every day basis. Do what you need to do to get it done. Show me how you’re staying hydrated in the comments or tag @jordanparkermeans and use #dietdeconstructed on Instagram.