The Best Habit for Your Health: Water
Eat Less, Feel Fuller
A recent study shows that a large percentage of Americans can’t actually tell the difference between the sensations of hunger and thirst. In this study, people who were nutritionally satisfied but needed more fluids repeatedly reached for an unnecessary snack, and named their craving as “hunger.” In fact, what they really needed was one simple no-cal, no-fat treat for their health: water. One of the reasons we often crave more food than we can metabolize is because we need its water content. Drinking water often throughout the day will help you feel satisfied in two ways. First, it will take up room in your stomach so that you’re less inclined to overeat at meals. Second, adequate hydration will protect you from reaching for a snack by mistake when what you really need is fluid. When it comes to your weight and your health, water is your secret weapon.
Feel More Comfortable
There are few things worse than feeling too hot or too cold. Being at an uncomfortable temperature can distract you and make it impossible to relax, enjoy an activity, or concentrate on an important task at hand. The great news is that your cure-all potion for health, water, is great for temperature regulation as well. Many people think of drinking water as a way to cool down, but few are aware that your body also uses water when raising your temperature to keep your warm. When you feel comfortable and temperate, you feel like you’re in the bloom of health: water will help you stay warm or cool no matter what the situation.
Impurities
To stay in the bloom of health, you body needs to be able to flush out waste, like toxins and impurities that you take on from food and from your environment. In the realm of health, water acts as a kind of trash bag, carrying away toxins and impurities from your body through urine and stool. A more fully cleansed internal system means better health, water means your body’s garbage gets carried out faster, and drinking lots of water every day means helping your body flush away waste efficiently. Letting water get rid of toxins and waste helps your system work at its best, and you’ll feel and see the difference. Faster waste processing means you’ll feel more energetic, but that’s not all. When your body is toxin-free, your skin, hair, and even your fingernails look that much more pure and vibrant.
Nutrition
When it comes to health, water is a part of almost every important process, but one of its most crucial jobs is helping your body dissolve nutrients from food, and deliver those important vitamins, minerals, carbs, and proteins to the cells throughout your body. Instead of loading up on supplements for extra nutrients, try making sure your body is able to use the ones you’re already giving it. To tear through foods and extract the nutritional content you need for optimum health, water needs to be in ample supply to your digestive system, and that means drinking plenty of H20.
How Much Water?
There’s an easy way to make sure your system is fully hydrated. When your body has used all the fluid it needs to function at the top level of health, water that is left over heads for the bladder and becomes urine, carrying away any other waste products and impurities with it. When your body is in peak health, water will not have to carry away many toxins, so it will flush out of your system looking clear. If your body is drying up, it will have to load up the urine with a lot of substances, which lends urine a yellowish tint. This means that, if you can overcome being squeamish for just a second, you have a built-in test to make sure you’re in the pink of health, water wise. Just take a glance at your urine; if it’s clear, you’re in the clear. If it’s a medium or dark yellow color, your body is crying out for a glass of water.
