Water 101

 

 

Water

I can't go on enough about how amazing water is for you. It's like liquid gold. It has endless health benefits & if you were to decide to make one change, I'd say drink more water. It is 100% my number one top tip.

Why you should drink more
Firstly water is essentail to keep your liver functioning properly. The liver neutralizes any toxins & waste products in the body & breaks them down; such as fatty foods & alcohol. Drinking plenty of water can help aid the liver with its cleansing & therefore stopping any of these toxins from building up in the body.

Water is also needed to keep the kidneys fuctioning aswell. They are similar to the liver, removing toxins from the blood, diluting them with water & then flushing them out the body. Without optimum water then the kidneys can't flush out these toxins & your body will become dehydrated & feel 'under the weather.' Drinking plenty of water will help keep both these organs working properly & you will feel so much more energetic & awake.

Water is also a beauty number one. The skin is the bodies largest organ & contains mainly water. So drinking enough is essential to keep it hydrated. Therefore plumping it out & making it smooth & youthful. Imagine your skin is an apple, if you leave it out in the sun, the skin becomes dry & wrinkled. This is your skin becoming dehydrated. Not a good look! It also helps keep your skin clear & free from blemishes, makes your hair healthy & shiny & helps your nails grow strong. A beauty all rounder!

How much?

Now how much should you be drinking? The standard amount is between 1.5-2 litres per day. But to be more accurate & calculate how much you should be having, multiply your weigh (kg) by 0.0333.

E.g 65kg X 0.0333 = 2.16 so you would need to drink just over 2 litres per day.

Another easier way of being able to tell if you're drinking enough is to check your wee! Yes really, next time you go check its colour. If it's a dark yellow colour then you need to drink more. If it's a lighter yellow or clear then you know your bodies well hydrated.

 

Ways to drink more

There are a number of ways to get more water into your day. I always make sure to carry around a water bottle with me. It seriously never leaves my side, I actually feel a bit lost when it's not within reaching distance of me! It means I'm always hydrated & I know I'm getting enough water per day. You  can also keep bottles of water in your car,  on your desk at work, in your handbag etc When they're always so easily on hand then you find yourself subconsciously drinking from them & it becomes a habit. You could even keep one in the kitchen for when your cooking. So instead of sneaking little bits of food while your cooking (which all add up to unaware calories) have a drink of water instead.

This links into having a glass of water before you have a meal. Before you sit down to eat, make sure to down a glass of cold water & it should fill you up & stop you form over eating. Having a glass of water when you wake up on a morning aswell will not only wake you up but it gets all your organs functioning, flushes out your system & kick starts your metabolism. A perfect way to wake up on a morning! Followed by a strong coffee (guilty coffee addict here!)

My personal favourite is the DIY water bottle. Get a cheap water bottle & write hourly times down the length in black marker. Now just make sure you drink to each line by that time through out the day. It's a perfect, fun way of making sure you drink enough water per day. 

 

Spice it up!

Now some people find water boring & lacking in flavour so they find it hard to drink enough. There are so many ways to spice up plain old water to help you drink more.

Firstly you could add some lemon or lime slices to your water to give it some flavour. The lemon/lime will also give your water another health boost. Lemons are an amazing inner cleanse, flushing out your body & kick starting your digestive system. They are high in Vitamin C, a brilliant anti oxidant which can help keep your skin clear & free from any pesky spots. They also contain a good amount of fibre, which can help keep your digestive system working & helps with any bloating. You could even try adding lemon slices or any other fruit into your ice cubes! They look so pretty & would look good in iced tea or punches if you have guests round.

You can also try flavoured teas. Green/herbal/fruit teas are another perfect way to give water a bit of a kick. Green tea also has endless health benefits. It is packed full of anti oxidants that help flush your body of toxins, helping clear your skin, make your hair shiny & healthy & giving you strong nails. It can also help prevent aging in your skin, plumping it out & making it appear more youthful. It even gives your metabolism a boost, waking you up & all for zero calories! What's not to love!

Now I challenge all of you to drink more water for the next 2 weeks & I swear by the end of it you'll be amazed by how much better you feel!

Until next time

Love