– Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
“Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.”
Have you ever woken up with a headache, feeling groggy, or maybe a little hungry? Chances are you have, and you probably thought that you needed to get something to eat, but in reality you probably should have grabbed a glass of water.
Drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up should be as much a part of your morning routine as brushing your teeth. There are so many benefits to consuming more water throughout the day, and a really great way to start is by drinking a glass as soon as you roll out of bed.
Think about it, after you wake up in the morning, when was the last time you had anything to drink? Assuming you had a full recommended 8 hours of sleep, and ate dinner a few hours before you went to bed, you are at about 10-12 hours since your last glass of anything. And if you decided to have a glass of wine or maybe a beer with your dinner, those both have chemicals that actually assist to dehydrate your body and so you are looking at even more time since you have hydrated your body appropriately.
Water And Our Bodies
- Makes up about 60% of our total body composition, and accounts for about 75% of our brain and muscle tissues
- Assists in flushing toxins and waste from our system
- Helps regulate our internal body temperature
- Lubricates our joints
- Helps absorb essential nutrients from our food
According to a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, only 22% of adults reported drinking 8 cups of water or more a day, while 36% reported to only drink 1-3 cups, and there were 7% that reported they do not drink any water during the course of a day. These numbers were shocking to me! With all the benefits of consuming the appropriate amount of water, and especially how easy is it to incorporate into your every day to day life, the only explanation I can come up with is that people just aren’t informed. The ones that are not drinking enough water just don’t know or understand how important it is so they end up taking it for granted.
The normal recommended amount of water to drink is 8 cups a day. Another method you can use is to take your weight and divide it by 2, and that is how many ounces you should drink a day. While these are both good methods and great starting points, you will need to pay attention to how you feel and listen to your body. Your urine should be a very light yellow. If it is too clear you are drinking too much, and if it is dark yellow you are not drinking enough. Drinking water is so simple and is something you can do RIGHT NOW to start improving your health and get yourself one step closer to feeling like the best version of yourself.
How To Get More Water In Your Life
- Drink a glass as soon as you wake up
- Eat more fruits and vegetables (some consist up to 90% water)
- Drink a glass of water before every meal
- Drink beverages you enjoy (water with lemon, carbonated water, avoid high sugar beverages)
- Buy yourself a nice aluminum or glass water bottle to carry around with you wherever you go
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One of the first things you should do to start consuming more water is to drink a glass as soon as you wake up. Drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up should be as much a part of your morning routine as brushing your teeth. There are so many benefits to consuming more water throughout the day, and a really great way to start is by drinking a glass as soon as you roll out of bed.
Think about it, after you wake up in the morning, when was the last time you had anything to drink? Assuming you had a full recommended 8 hours of sleep, and ate dinner a few hours before you went to bed, you are at about 10-12 hours since your last glass of anything. And if you decided to have a glass of wine or maybe a beer with your dinner, those both have chemicals that actually assist to dehydrate your body and so you are looking at even more time since you have hydrated your body appropriately.
Another great strategy is to drink a glass before every meal. Make a conscious effort to finish an entire glass before you start eating anything. This has the additional benefit of actually helping the food you are about to consume sit better in your stomach and absorb more of the nutrients from them. It also helps you feel a little more full, stopping you from over consuming during your meal.
Speaking of your meals, you should also try and include some fruits and definitely a ton of vegetable with every meal. Fruits and vegetable mostly consist of water. Some of them range from 85-90% water. This is a perfect way to get more water into your diet.
Vegetables & Fruit With 85-90% Water
Vegetables
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Bell Peppers
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
Fruit
- Grapefruit
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Peaches
- Blackberries
- Pineapples
Finally, in order to get more water into your diet you are going to have to find a way that you actually enjoy. I personally love water and it is very refreshing to me, but some people can’t sit there and just drink water all day, and I understand. Sometimes I want some flavor in my life too! Now when I say flavor, I am not suggesting you go and grab a soda or even some orange juice. Soda and fruit juices are filled with added sugars and you are just going to end up negating the positive effects of trying to consume more water by loading your body up with all that added sugar. Some drinks that I have found quite delicious that have some extra flavor are carbonated waters (Lacroix, Bubly, San Pellegrino) or even just adding some fresh squeezed lemon juice to your glass is always a simple solution. Just find water that works for you.
Once you find your drink of choice, it would be a good idea to get yourself a nice water bottle to carry around with you. I recommend buying an aluminum or glass water bottle to avoid the BPA that can reside in plastic bottles. And yes, even the plastic bottles that say they are BPA free are still going to have the chemical released, especially if you leave your water bottle in the sun for too long and expose it to high temperatures. Aluminum and glass is the way to go.
Stay Hydrated My Friends
I hope you found something useful here, and that you were able to take at least one thing away from it. It is important that we stay informed and especially with something so simple as drinking more water. Please share this with your friends and family members and make sure they are informed as well.
I would also appreciate it if you would like this page and go ahead and follow me on my website by entering your email address below, so you can keep receiving more great information.
Thank you,
Andrew Raymond
A. Raymond Health Coaching
References
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Behaviors and Attitudes Associated With Low Drinking Water Intake Among US Adults, Food Attitudes and Behaviors SurveyU.S. Geological Survey Water Properties: The Water In You
WebMD: 6 Reasons To Drink Water
SF Gate: List of Fruits & Vegetable With a High Water Content
A. Raymond Health Coaching 