We spend a fortune on diets products, supplements and celebrity workouts, looking for the best way to slim down, feel better and look great. The crazy thing is there is one simple, and free, way of getting the weight off and the chances are you are not doing it.
You will have read countless articles talking about hydration and are probably well versed in the eight classes a day rule. However if you are still not jumping on the H2O bandwagon then you are missing out on a load of remarkable benefits.
Firstly, one of the reasons we find ourselves eating a little bit more during the day could be down to dehydration. You don’t have to be starved of water to feel the effects. Just drinking slightly less than you need can have a dramatic fall out. One of the early stages of dehydration is the sensation of thirst and sometimes we mistake this feeling for hunger. So off we pop, load up on calories and all we have done is eat food we didn’t need and probably increased the dehydration as we use water to digest our foods.
So, next time you think you are peckish. Try drinking a room temperature glass of water and waiting 20 minutes. Then see if you still feel hungry.
Exercise also increases how much fluid we use. If you are smashing out max workouts 5 days a week then you are going to need to replace that lost fluid. So 8 glasses a day isn’t going to be nearly enough for you. There are some great new ways of knowing how much water your body needs, such as the smart water bottles which make hydration a little more personal. They remind you when you need to drink and work out how much your activity has affected your hydration levels.
Water also helps us to flush out the toxins in our bodies. Without it we will become bloated and our overall appearance will look a little puffy. This can add pounds. You may think it’s strange that drinking more water will prevent water retention, but the reason our bodies retain water is because we need it to stay alive. If you are getting enough hydration then you won’t retain so much, meaning your face will look tighter and your stomach will look flatter, without any extra exercise.
Finally, Water boosts your metabolism helping you burn more calories. Even though water is calorie free, it is processed by your body the same way food is. This means that your metabolism kicks in to deal with the water entering your system, filing it away into all the right places and breaking it down before it is expelled through your urine. So you will burn calories from taking on zero calories, which will result in weight loss. It also means your body is able to get on with other important tasks, such as clearing out toxins in your system. So by simply drinking one glass of water, your body is actually having a mini internal workout.
