This week at The Real Food Experience 2014 our goal is to only drink real beverages which for me includes water, milk, tea, and coffee. Fruit juice can be real, but oftentimes it is not when purchased from the store. We drink fruit juice in moderation as we like to have fiber with our fruit, so we eat whole fruits rather than just the juice.
OK………enough with all of those other beverages. Let’s get to some health benefits of water. I promise you that water is way more exciting than you probably think it is now. The beverage companies did us a huge favor when they started bottling water. Somehow, having it in a bottle makes it more exciting, especially when we have to pay $4.50 for it at the movie theater. We really love that, right?
Benefits of Drinking Water
1. Look Younger: This is a big one for me right now. It is the middle of a hard winter and I’m 44 years old and married to a man 6 years younger than me. I have really noticed that I start to look older when my skin is dried out. Drinking lots of water helps to keep my skin looking plumper and less old, especially my hands and lips.
2. Reduces Headaches: I used to get headaches every day. I’m not kidding every day. Since changing my diet and drinking more water, the headaches have really been reduced. If I feel one coming on………I start drinking more water and that usually takes care of it. Many headaches are caused by dehydration.
3. Less Cobwebs at Work: Do you know what I mean by cobwebs? I’m referring to that foggy feeling you get first thing in the morning. I used to think that meant I needed more coffee. Come to find out the cobwebs go away when I’m not dehydrated. Drinking water helps me to focus more at work.
4. Helps with Fatigue: This is another big advantage for all of us super busy moms. Water helps the body to wash out toxins which then helps our bodies to work more efficiently. If our body doesn’t have to work as hard to do the basic stuff (like pumping our heart) than there is more energy for exciting stuff like laundry, cooking…….
5. Helps in Weight Loss: drinking water redudes hunger and flushes away the by-products of fat breakdown. The best part………water has zero calories! You can drink as much as you want all day……….everyday! I dare you to come up with another drink that can say that.
6. Less Cramping and Sprains: When trying to lose weight, we often exercise. Proper hydration keeps our muscles and joints lubricated. When you are properly hydrated you will be less likely to cramp up and get sprains. Just watch a football game on a hot day and you will know how important hydration is. I’ve seen lots of boys come off the field with cramping because they weren’t drinking enough water.
7. Helps with Constipation and Digestion: Yep, I said it! It is not exciting to talk about it so let’s help our digestion system along and avoid constipation. Water increases your metabolism and that helps things to keep moving along. You should be having a bowel movement once a day. If you are not………that is a sign of trouble. Increase your water and fiber consumption.
8. Less Likely to Get Sick: Drinking lots of water helps your body fight flu and other illness. Kidney stones are less likely when you are properly hydrated. I often drink water with lemon which helps to strengthen my immune system so I can fight off all those bugs the kid like to bring home from school. Since switching to a real food diet, I have not missed a day of work due to illness. (knock on wood.)
9. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: I always advise you to do your own research and make an informed decision for your family, but here is what I know…………..some studies show that drinking lots of water may reduce the risk of bladder and colon cancer. The studies seem to be showing that water reduces the concentration of cancer-causing material in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with the body.
There you go…………Can your soda do all that? We are only given one body. We need to make sure we are taking care of our bodies and water is obviously a big part of this process.
Are you drinking enough water? Have you ever had a problem due to dehydration? Start the habit of carrying around a refillable water bottle. You will never be without water then. Make sure you have one for the kiddos too. Did you know that water was this exciting? I am a super hero and drinking lots of water is my super power!
Can’t get enough Juggling Real Food and Real Life? Make sure you subscribe to our email list so you don’t miss a post. You will also want to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Just look for the buttons at the top to follow us on your favorite social media. We also have a Real Food Experience Facebook group. If you would like to join us, leave me your Facebook email address (the one you sign on with) in the comments below or email me at jugglingrealfoodandreallife@gmail.com.
I Think You Will Like This Too:
- My Favorite Water Recipe – Water is great, but how about adding a little zing to it!
Usually a headache reminds me that I have not had enough water. I try to never have a headache!
You are a smart woman Janine! Sipping my water right now. This week's goal has been a good reminder to me that I need to increase my water intake. I only drink water, but I haven't been drinking much lately. I was starting to feel the effects of that. Sip…….Sip………..Must keep drinking my water.
I wish I could get this excited about water. I have a problem where I don't feel thirst. I know I don't drink enough water, and plain water is something I almost never think to drink, because when I drink something, I'm going by what taste I want, not a dry throat/headache/etc. I have to quite literally be dehydrated before I feel what everyone else recognizes as thirst.
I've taken to buying the Lipton Citrus Green Tea in 16.9 oz bottles. They have HFCS in them, which I try to avoid, but I'm guaranteed to drink it, which beats drinking nothing but my morning coffee and my evening beer/wine. I have bought countless water bottles, insulated cups, etc., but I just don't think to USE them. Any suggestions for that? Aside from making some kind of alarm that goes off every X minutes to remind me to drink. I can't use that at work.
Also I need to gain about 10 lbs, but if I drink much, then I don't eat. 🙁
So, any suggestions? WWYD?
Stephanie, you sound very similar to me. I just don't drink much of anything. My husband drinks and drinks (water) and I drink very little. I'm trying to change. I think your tastes adjust with time because water is the only thing I find truly refreshing. Setting an alarm sounds like a pain, but like any change in habit……..it's going to take some focus. I keep water with me at my desk and sip often and try to take bigger sips. I keep focusing on how much better I feel when I drink my water. I imagine the toxins leaving me and my joints feeling better. Sounds silly, but ever so slowly it seems to be helping. Good luck! I'd like to hear how it goes. And………I love lemon in my water. I tend to gulp that.
You might consider water kefir also. A liquid dynamo!
I have never tried water kefir. I need to put that on the list of things to try. I hear great things about it.
Aside from my morning tea, water is all I drink throughout the day. Not only does it keep my hydrated, but it gets me up from my desk throughout the day 🙂 Cucumber water is one of my favorites!
Lauren, you make a great point. It may not be exciting, but flushing our system is very important. I sit at a desk all day and the only exercise I get is my bathroom breaks. We really should be taking these breaks every hour to hour and a half. That is far more breaks than most of us actually take. I bet I would like cucumber water, but haven't tried it yet. I'm a big lemon water girl!
I feel so much better on days when I consume a lot of water! I make something called SASSY WATER – yum!
I agree! I do feel so much better when I drink more water. I must know more about SASSY WATER!
I have started taking out four bottles of water in the morning and marking a big #1, #2, #3, #4 on them as a visual reminder to get my recommended amount. I need to invest in a good refillable one, though. That gets costly. But I WON'T drink our tap. It's so nasty. I'm still in search of a water bottle that doesn't make the water taste like plastic or metal. For now, just getting more is a small step I'm taking.
That is a great idea Nicole! I often think of "how much I drank" at the end of the day when it is really too late to do anything about it. We are very lucky around here. Our tap water tastes great. I send the kids with refillable water bottles each day.
I looooove my water. It is pretty much all I drink with the exception of some hot tea and a cup of coffee in the morning here and there. But even before my tea and coffee days I've suffered from migraines. The little bit of caffeine helps keep them at bay and would rather do that than stuff my body full of medications that make me feel crappy.
You've really got me thinking Chrystal. When I first gave up my caffeine addiction I felt so much better. I relly didn't feel like I needed the caffeine, but my headaches are back now. Not like before, but more than recent history. I'm thinking it has something to do with the atmospheric pressure. I have no idea what to do about that!
Yes! Drinking water is so important! It is the primary drink in this household (including for my daycare kids).
Awesome! Water is the perfect drink regardless of age. Congratulations on realizing how important it is to your health and for your daycare kids as well.