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7 Surprising Reasons Why You Should Drink More Water Every Day

Why you should drink more water?

Some estimate that 75% of women are chronically dehydrated!

Seriously? That’s a staggering number.

Yet as busy women it’s sometimes easy to find ourselves grabbing coffee for a pick-me-up as we juggle running businesses, juggling kids, soccer practices, and all the demands of life, right?

When working with my clients to use their menstrual cycles to biohack their productivity and business inside Your Cycle Advantage, one of our core essentials is ensuring that you get enough water.

Water is essential for proper body function: Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, and every system in our body depends on it to function properly.

But did you know that drinking more water can actually help you maintain your energy and vitality?

Water is essential for your body, and most people are severely dehydrated without even realizing it.

Here are 7 reasons you should add more water to your day:

 

1. Water is essential for nearly every one of your body systems.

Water helps regulate body temperature, transport nutrients, remove waste, and lubricate joints. Without water, your blood becomes thicker and less efficient in transporting vital hormones and nutrients around your body. Replenishing your muscles, organs, and cells helps you keep up with your life.

 

2. Water can increase your energy levels.

When you feel that afternoon crash, try reaching for a cup of water first. Dehydration can leave you feeling run down and tired, and drinking even just a single glass of water can increase your energy level dramatically.

Drinking more water increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, leading to increased energy and alertness. Think of how much more productive and efficient you’ll be with your work if you’re operating at your peak energy versus feeling run down and sluggish.

 

3. Water can help you lose weight.

Society hasn’t done a great job at teaching us to listen to our interoceptors (our internal cues). We’re often being told to stick to a specific diet to lose weight or to ignore hunger cues and stick with the plan. Maybe you grew up in a house where you were told to “eat all the food on your plate.”

Whether it was pushing past your hunger cues or ignoring them, most people haven’t been taught to listen to them. Years ago someone told me that most people misinterpret thirst cues as hunger cues.

So while some gurus will tell you to drink water to “fill your stomach and curb cravings” what if you just experimented with “what if I’m not actually hungry and I’m just thirsty right now?”

Additionally, drinking more water overall can boost metabolism, helping your body burn more calories.

 

4. Water can help give you radiant and glowing skin!

Forget the botox! Just drink more water. Hydration is the key to long-lasting elasticity and preventing wrinkles.

 

5. Water can boost your immune system

Water is key in helping flush out toxins and supporting a healthy immune system. In fact, when I feel an illness coming on, downing the water is one of my first preventative interventions to curb it.

 

6. Water can support normal hormone production

Water is also essential for regulating body temperature, which can affect hormone production. Drinking enough water can help maintain a stable body temperature and reduce stress on the body and contribute to supporting a rhythmic menstrual cycle (and many other rhythms in your body too!)

When hormones build up in the body, they can disrupt the delicate balance of the endocrine system, leading to hormonal imbalances. Drinking enough water can help support the body’s natural detoxification processes and keep hormone levels in check. (Check out this podcast episode to understand how these hormones shift throughout the month )

 

7. Water can keep the bowels regular

Ever sat on the toilet and things just weren’t budging? Constipation is a key indicator in letting you know your body could benefit from more water.

Drinking adequate amounts of water can keep your digestive system running smoothly (and regularly!).

Do you know what’s considered “normal” when it comes to digestive health? Check out this podcast episode with Brooke Rozzie and discover the in’s and out’s of your gut, how it impacts your cycle, and the red flags you need to be watching for.

But how much water do you need to drink?

 

How much water do you need to drink?

A good indicator of your hydration levels is your urine color. If your pee isn’t clear, you’re most likely needing to take a few drinks. Some experts recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces, but if you still drink coffee, tea, or do anything else that may be dehydrating, you’re going to need more.

When it comes to drinking more water, some people worry about having to use the bathroom all the time. However, the incessant peeing won’t always last, and exercising your pelvic floor muscles can help. You can get specific workouts for your pelvic floor, or overall whole fitness workouts.

How can you drink more water?

Keeping up with the water is partly habit and partly creativity.  As great as water can be for your body, it can be a bit boring after awhile.  And we can often get distracted and forget to drink water. So here are some of my favorite hacks to keeping up with my water intake.

  1. Find a water bottle you love & that’s easy to keep with you. Larger bottles are great cause it’s less time to refill too. This is one of my favorites.
  2. Play with straw versus no straw. For me, drinking from a straw makes me drink more faster.
  3. Infuse your water with some flavors. Lemon, Berries, Mint, Cucumber, Ginger.
  4. Try sparkling. I bought a soda stream a year or so ago and it’s been FABULOUS! I’ve only ever used it for water, but when you combine it with infusing (see above) or a drop or 2 of vanilla or coconut stevia it is fabulous.
  5. Add rubberbands to the bottom of your waterbottle. Each time you refill you move a rubber band to the bottom so you can track how many times you’ve refilled.
  6. OR if you have kids like mine who like to move the rubberbands all around, keep a paper tracker like  an App tracker like this one
  7.  Pair drinking with other parts of your routine. Drink a glass when you wake up. Drink before each of your meals. Drink each time you go to the kitchen. When you nurse your baby….whatever you do throughout the day.
  8. Use caution with dehydrating drinks like coffee, tea, and alcohol. You’ll have to add a glass of water for each one you drink!
  9. Set a goal at the beginning of the day. A goal when attempting to change any habit is the key to tracking your progress.
  10. Bonus Tip from @sportytreasures on IG. Keep other drinks out of sight and out of mind. When it comes to juice, soda, and the like, if you don’t buy it and have it in your vicinity, you won’t drink it.
  11. Try drinking cold water versus room temperature. Some find it easier to drink one over the other.

How do I drink more water without peeing ALL the time?

Oh yeah! The bathroom. If you’ve ever started drinking more water, you know what I mean. BUT…

  • Someone once told me that drinking more water when you’ve been dehydrated is like pouring water on desert land. Ground that is dehydrated is so hard that the water can’t soak in. Hydrated soil soaks the water in.  Think of your body like that. The incessant peeing won’t always last!
  • Get a little exercise.  The pelvic floor is key for helping hold your bladder. You can get specific workouts for your pelvic floor (I recommend Amy Stein of Beyond Basics PT) or overall whole fitness workouts
  • I’ll say it again, but skip the coffee, tea, and other diuretics. They just make you have to go even more.

Can you drink too much water?

In short, yes, you can drink too much water. Your kidneys need to be able to process the amount of water you are drinking. That being said, it’s more to do with the amount of water over time. AKA, don’t guzzle 2 gallons of water at a time.  Numbers I’ve seen have said keeping your drinking levels to about 30 ounces an hour will keep you in the safe zone.

Drinking enough water is crucial for your health, and by incorporating it into your routine, you can maintain your energy and vitality as a new mom. So next time you reach for that cup of coffee, consider drinking a glass of water first!

 

Affiliate Disclosure: I’m a huge believer in transparency and authenticity and so I am disclosing that I’ve included certain products and links to those products on this site that I will earn an affiliate commission for any purchases you make (with no extra cost to you!). These commissions help enable me to provide more and expand my services for you! So thanks for your support!

This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Renae Fieck’s website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. No physician-patient relationship is created by this web site or its use.

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