7 Reasons To Drink More Water

By Thorbjorg (Mind Body Green)

If you suffer from any of the following ailments, you may not be drinking enough water: fatigue, confusion, memory loss, dizziness, dry and wrinkled skin, brittle hair and nails, cold fingers and toes, constipation, eczema, headaches, urinary tract infections, and muscle pains.  

These are all signs of dehydration.

Your body is made up of around 70% water, which is involved in every bodily function. If you lack water, then your body will try to get moisture from any liquid source in your system. It will automatically tap your blood, cell fluid, intra-cellular fluid, and even your stools and urine. When you're literally draining yourself, you're impacting your physical and mental health and speeding up the aging process.

Below are seven very good reasons to boost your water intake:

1. You'll Digest Your Food Better

If you're spending a bit too much time and effort on the toilet, you could probably use a glass (or two!) of pure water. The body is very wise: it knows that the vital organs need essential nutrients more than the rest of your body.

If you're dehydrated, however, your body will take what’s available. Hence constipation. Water-depleted stools are hard to pass —and they can be there for days! As a result, your stomach feels bloated with the overgrowth of fermenting bacteria and yeast. Not fun!

2. You'll Stay Sharp

If you prefer being upbeat and focused, you need to drink water. If you’re feeling confused and forgetful, try drinking more water before going to see the doctor. Dehydration can trigger brain fog.

 

3. You'll Love What You See In The Mirror

If you love what you see in the mirror every morning, good for you! Keep doing what you're doing! But if you struggle with a puffy face and sunken eyes with dark circles, you're being warned that your kidneys are in distress. You are not drinking enough water.

The kidneys filter toxins, salts, and water from the bloodstream. If the body is dehydrated, then the kidneys can’t function properly. If the kidneys are overloaded, this will show in your face. Maybe you just had a fun night out with a bit too much booze. Maybe you ate too many salty snacks — or maybe you’ve been getting a bit too much sodium from take-out. Whatever the reason, the result is written all over your face.

4. You'll Have Youthful Skin.

Dry and wrinkled skin occurs for two big reasons: (1) water retention and (2) a lack of subcutaneous fat. If you want to boost your natural fillers and look more youthful, with glowing skin, do three things:

1. Splash cold water on your face several times every morning
2. Gently pat your skin dry
3. Drink a big glass of chilled water on an empty stomach.

Make sure that you drink more than two liters of water during the day, and eat fat everyday! By fat, I mean pure and unprocessed plant oils from foods like organic flax seeds, butter from grass-fed sources, and organic coconut oil! Fat binds the water to the dermis skin layer and functions as a natural filler. You don’t ever need botox! The fat (mainly from the butter) will store in the fat layer that prevents that hollow look that often appears with age.

5. You'll Lower Your Body Fat

This will probably surprise you, but being dehydrated can make you gain weight! As I mentioned earlier, the body will use all other fluids available when it’s dehydrated. By pulling water out of the bloodstream, excess glucose will remain until it reaches the liver, where it's supposed to be stored as glycogen for later use.

6. You'll Curb Your Appetite

Do you constantly feel hungry? Do you have cravings for sugar and wheat? Drink a glass of water. Pure water acts as an appetite suppressant. When feeling hungry, I suggest you drink a big glass of water before you act upon that sensation. If you need some taste, you can add a bit of lemon juice, or a splash of açai or pomegranate juice (without any added sugar).

7. You'll Help Your Body Do Its Job

There’s a reason why they call water the source of life — our blood is 90% water. The bloodstream provides your cells and organs with oxygen and nutrients, and takes away any waste products. As you can see, blood is essential and important.

As I said before, the body will tap the water from cells and blood if needed to help counter dehydration. The blood will become thicker, increasing the risk for clotting, and making it harder to pump it through the system. This can have a serious impact on blood pressure and heart disease. Lack of water is also linked to headaches, pain and tension in muscles and joints. It even causes stomachaches and heartburn. Everything is connected throughout the body, and it’s important not to neglect one of its fundamental tools.

How Much Water Do You Need?

In general, you need about 2 Liters (65oz) of pure water a day. You might need more if you live in a warm or dry climate, as well as if you exercise often or practice “Bikram” or hot yoga. You will also need more water if you are pregnant, or breastfeeding. Plus, take into account the diuretic effects of coffee, tea, alcohol, and sodas, as well as salty foods.

After reading this... Do you drink enough water?

Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com...

Health and Fitness Tips for Weight Loss

Obesity is a problem in our society and nearly everyone could stand to lose a few pounds, but all of the gimmicky and trick diets in the world, all of the fat-burning super fruit coming out of the Amazon rain forests and all of the fat-blocking pills being hawked on internet sites can't silence one indisputable fact. 

en.wikipedia.org

The healthy and effective way to lose weight is the same one that doctors have been recommending for years. There are no short cuts and any weight you take off using these instant methods will come right back if you don't change your eating and fitness standards. Losing 20 pounds is a great goal, but celebrating that loss by returning to self-destructive eating and fitness habits is pointless.

Losing weight is not easy, but it is possible. It takes dedication and a real desire to actually lose weight. If you have those, follow these tips to lose weight without harming your health:

· Chose how much weight you want to lose. Setting realistic goals for your weight loss is important. Tracking these goals is essential for teaching your body the self-discipline it needs to continue with your diet and fitness regimen.

· Eat your breakfast. Eating a meal in the morning will kick-start your metabolism for the remainder of the day. Having a cup of coffee may make you feel satisfied, but your body is still in a slowdown mode and your metabolism is still sluggish. You have to give your body some fuel to 'prime the pump.'

· Eat small meals through the day. Instead of overeating at a few meals, try eating smaller portions over longer periods of time. 5 to 6 meals per day, with a reduced intake is much healthier than 2 or 3 large ones.

· Limit the carbs. Limiting the amount of carbohydrates you eat will help you lose weight. Not just breads and pastries, cut down on pastas, sodas and rice can help you shed pounds.

· Although not all fats are bad, many aren't good. Omega-3 fats are good for you and easily available in different cooking oils and cold water fish. Replacing or supplementing your normal fats with these will help you lose weight and improve your health.

· Drink water, lots of it. Although water doesn't have anything in it to help you lose weight, drinking plenty of it will help your body flush out toxins, hydrate your cells and promote your health.

· Exercise every day. Find an exercise you like and stick with it. Even walking or climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator will help you burn calories and keep your body healthy. For more pronounced weight loss, you will need to find a more strenuous workout routine.

· Patience is a virtue. Weight loss doesn't happen overnight and you have to get your body accustomed to the changes in diet and exercise before it will start changing. If you stick with your diet and fitness regimen, you will see changes.

Losing weight is important to retaining your health and fitness, but it should be treated with the respect your body deserves. Forcing your body, through pills or dubious diets, to lose pounds while losing essential nutrients is not healthy and can potentially damage your body. Following a simple diet and exercise regimen will take the weight off but you have to be patient. You can't realistically expect to lose all of your excess pounds overnight.

This article lists healthy and easy ways of losing weight without relying on fad diets or potentially dangerous weight loss schemes. The emphasis is on healthy eating habits combined with exercise.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8638969