You constantly hear that you should be staying hydrated. Probably first off it comes from your parents, then your Coach at high school, then perhaps your Gym Trainer and don’t forget that random Health blog you read once in a while.
Drink water throughout the day. Eat more fruit. Eat lettuce and canteloup.
We’ve gotten so used to the noise, that we often just ignore most of the advice surrounding staying hydrated.
But I bet you don’t know what happens when you’re dehydrated, or why it’s important to stay hydrated. First off, it’s a no-brainer – it’s vital for survival.
It is the key to maintaining good health as every cell, organ, and tissue needs H2O to work properly. You need it for the prevention of diseases, lubricating joints, losing weight, staying in a better mood, thinking clearer, and so much more.
Since 75% of our body is water, dehydration can be extremely dangerous.
Still not convinced? Here are 6 reasons why you should always stay hydrated.
#1 – Boost Your Energy Levels
Ever felt you were running low on energy, no matter how much you slept? That’s where staying hydrated does its job – and it’s an easy fix, right?
Similar to fuel which keeps the car running and working smoothly, water is the same for a human body. When you’re fully hydrated, your cells can function optimally, allowing your body to produce energy more efficiently and provide it to organs, tissues, muscles, and nerves.
Water is critical in almost all metabolic processes of your body, right from the very small ones, such as the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the main energy currency for cells.
Dehydration leads to the body working overtime to regulate functions essential for maintaining good health on a day-to-day basis. Since the system is working harder than it needs to and is missing an important component, you feel fatigued.
So, by keeping hydrated, you are giving your body the energy it needs to power through the day like a boss. Whether that working at the gym, working through a busy day, or being with the family, staying hydrated could be your secret to keeping that energy up and maintaining it.
However, we all get busy, and getting in our 8 ounces of water often falls through the cracks. We are also unable to understand why are we feeling lethargic or have this constant brain fog. Thankfully, the new USANA Electrolyte Replacement drink gives you enough hydration and crucial minerals to help your body stay energized and hydrated and boost reparative processes.
USANA Electrolyte Replacement Drink
#2 – Support Your Body’s Functions
Your body is like an all-absorbing, well-oiled machine, and water is the most essential lubricant. H2O is required in almost all functions:
- helps regulate temperature
- helps with digestion
- helps nutrients absorb
- helps excretes waste
- lubricates joints
- oxgenates cells
- moistens tissues in the eyes, mouth and nose.
As you can see, proper hydration helps the body to maintain temperatures that can fluctuate due to excessive sweating during exercises or when in hot weather. Water also helps in lubricating the joints for easy movement, hence joint pain can be minimalized provided you remain hydrated.
Staying hydrated is also crucial for digestion and the passage of nutrients. Water is involved in the breaking down of food both in the stomach and the intestines.
After that, nutrients are absorbed in the bloodstream, which circulates them to the different cells.
Inadequate hydration will tend to cause poor digestion, thus increasing discomfort, bloating, and at times constipation, thus increasing your weight. Convinved yet?
Let me continue then…
#3 – Nourish Your Skin from Within
Who does not want clean and radiant skin from within? Staying hydrated, lets say, is the elixir for plumpness and maintaining skin’s elasticity – just ask Kim Kardashian (rolling eyes emoji)
You see, the largest organ of your body is your skin, and it relies on water to maintain its quality and fight against damaging external factors.
Contrarily, dehydration can cause dry, scaly skin and even worse, some skin conditions such as acne and eczema.
However, hydration does not have to be solely by gulping down water. You also need to be mindful of the things you consume. It is the antioxidants together with the healthy fats from sources like avocado and nuts that allow the skin to be well hydrated and remain in its best form.
#4 – Staying Hydrated Will Boost Your Brainpower and Mental Clarity
When you are feeling stuck and have brain fog, maybe it’s time that you reach for that water bottle. That’s because staying hydrated is key not only for your body but is also immensely vital to keeping your brain in peak working condition.
If you recall me saying above, our brain is comprised of 75% water, which helps to keep the mental processes and clarity on point.
Dehydration shuts down brain cells and doesn’t allow them to function well, affecting concentration, memory, and decision-making functionality.
According to New Zealand Nutritionist and International Health Speaker, Dale Folland from Newlives Nutrition tells us. ‘Even a 2% reduction in hydration can cause cognitive impairment, affecting tasks that involve paying attention, executive function, and processing time, along with motor coordination, it’s often referred to as ‘brain fog’‘.
So, if you realize you can never seem to be focused or attentive to issues at your place of work, or you’re feeling like your brain is foggy, then it is high time that you increased your water consumption.
#5 – Support Your Immune System
Your immune system is like the military defence of your body; it’s always on the watch out for parasites, foreign bacteria, viruses, and other pathogenic bugs.
And guess what? If you recall above, one of the functions is to carry nutrients around the body and we need nutrients to help fight the baddies in our body.
In other words, we need water to be fully operational.
Staying hydrated ensures that the immune system gets enough support in the fight against infections and illnesses.
Water helps wash away toxins from the body, assists in the production of lymphatic fluid, and keeps the mucous surfaces moist to trap and do away with microorganisms.
In essence, research indicates that dehydration may compromise the immune system and thus expose the body to attacks by infectious diseases like the common cold and flu.
Being properly hydrated lends an extra helpful hand to the immune system to keep things strong and healthy.
#6 – Stay Cool and Prevent Heat-Related Illnesses
As temperatures rise, so too does the risk of illnesses, including overheating, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Therefore, hydration in warm weather is, of course, critical.
Nutritionist, Dale Folland continues to say ‘Although there are many variables with fluid loss, the human body can easily lose 6 to 8 oz of fluids per hour of intense exercise; if it’s hot weather, that loss of fluids can almost double’.
Sweating leads to a decrease in body fluids and electrolytes, which are of huge importance in the process of maintaining body fluidity and balancing body salts.
Failure to replenish these fluids and electrolytes, through drinking water and the intake of the kind of food that has electrolyte content, may result in dehydration and heat-related ailments, like bonking.
Bonking refers to a stage your body gets into called hypoglycemia, it’s when your muscles and liver have run dry of glucose (sugar) to fuel the muscles.
Also, there is another stage called hyponatremia, which is a loss of sodium in the body, often to do with excessive sweat loss and not enough electrolytes being consumed.
Staying well-hydrated also helps with thermoregulation, so you are less likely to overheat while exercising or spending hours in the hot sun.
Hydration has more meaning in our body than just quenching thirst. It should be treated as the body’s nourishment, support to maintaining health and enhancing the well-being of your whole body.
So, drink up, stay hydrated, and enjoy all the amazing benefits that come with it!
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