Your body needs six to eight glasses of water everyday. Take note, though, that this amount is only enough for a normal day when the weather is cool and you don't engage in a lot of physical activity. Where the temperature and/or your level of physical activity rises, you also have to increase your water intake.
Drinking water is the most direct way of fulfilling your requirements for liquid intake. That however, is not the only way. The food you eat and other drinks you consume contain water, so these count too. Be wary, however. Drinking a glass of cola, as compared to a glass of water will not give you the same effect. While cola does contain water, it also contains a lot of sugar and caffeine that can be bad for you in excessive amounts. Drinking water gives you none of the sugar, caffeine, and the calories. Water is not only good for your health in general. Drinking water helps weight loss, too.
How drinking water helps in weight loss
You better believe it. Drinking water helps weight loss and here's how:
o Appetite Suppression: Your brain technically does not know the difference between thirst and hunger. Unless your tummy's really rumbling or you haven't eaten in a while, most of the time that you thought you were hungry were actually times that you were just thirsty. So the next time you feel the urge to grab something from the refrigerator, try a glass of water instead.
o Dehydration Causes Weight Gain: You got that right. Dehydration causes weight gain because as your body perceives that it's not getting enough water, it retains water to protect itself. Water retention causes bloating which can make you look and feel fat. Not only that, but it actually does add on weight, as much as 4-5 pounds to be exact. Once you start drinking water as you should, your body adjusts, stops retaining water, and helps you flush away all that water weight you gained.
o Maximizes Fat Loss: Water doesn't really burn fat, or at least not directly. It just makes the process easier for your body. Normally, your water intake puts your kidneys to work, as well as helping them work. So when you don't take in sufficient water, your kidneys don't function very well. Because your kidneys aren't functioning very well, the job of processing your water intake is passed on to your liver. But your liver also has other tasks to handle! Primarily, the liver is responsible for turning fat into energy - in other words, burning fat. When it's given the additional task of processing your water intake, it can't concentrate in burning as much fat as it can. When you drink enough water, your kidneys will function properly. When your kidneys function properly, they don't need to pass processing your water intake to the liver. The liver then is free to concentrate on its fat-burning duties. You see! Drinking water helps weight loss!
o Water Helps Activate Fiber: Fiber by itself, without the necessary water intake, doesn't do much for your diet. In fact, by not taking in enough water, fiber will cause constipation by soaking up water already in your body. To make sure that you get the most out of your fiber, make sure that you take in enough water - sometimes even more the amount of what is normally required for everyday intake.
o Water Helps Flush Away Toxins and Fats: Because with enough water fiber gets to do its job properly, toxins and fats are absorbed during digestion before they get absorbed by your body. Apart from making sure that fiber sponges up toxins and fats in your body, water also works on its own to help you flush out toxins and fats. Where you have a less build-up of toxins in your body, you will be healthier. A healthier body ultimately can work harder in processing and breaking down fats, thus helping you lose weight. Do you believe now that drinking water helps weight loss?
General Health Benefits
Aside from the fact that drinking water helps weight loss, the benefits of consuming enough water for your health should not be undermined. It decreases risks of kidney stones. It helps maintain your normal body temperature. It also aids in circulation and digestion, as well as helping maintain muscle tone and preventing skin sagging.
Can you drink too much water?
Drinking water helps weight loss but you should do it in moderation. It's not so much as drinking too much water as drinking too fast that should be your concern. Your kidneys are efficient enough to process up to 5 gallons of water in a day. The key is to spread out your water intake throughout the day and not ingest a lot on fewer intervals.
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