5 Reasons To Drink More Water

I see people everywhere carrying around bottles of water, the gym, the park, even the grocery store. It’s almost like a fashion accessory. In fact you can purchase all kinds of hip (dare I say “chic”?) water bottles to match every outfit.

It’s not a bad trend at all. The recommended daily intake of water is 64 oz for a normal, healthy adult. It can be hard to reach that goal, so toting around a bottle of the wet stuff to sip throughout the day is a pretty good idea.

Most of us know that drinking water is healthy, but here are a few benefits to drinking water that you might not have thought about.

5 reasons to drink more water.

1. Zero Calories. A glass of water contains nothing in the way of calories. That’s right, ZERO. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Plus, It can be used to replace juice, soda, and other sweetened drinks, which helps reduce total consumed calories. Plus water has no fat, no carbs, and no sugar. Now that’s refreshing.

2. Appetite Suppressant. Often times we think we’re hungry, but it’s just our body trying to tell us we’re thirsty. This sometimes causes us to eat, when all we need is a nice glass of water. Also, drinking water can help curb hunger pangs by filling the stomach. This doesn’t mean that you can substitute water for a good healthy diet. Starvation diets are just plain destructive to your body. What this does mean is if you feel hungry between meals, you can try a few swigs of water to help tide you over to the next meal.

3. Speeds Metabolism. Staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to rev up your metabolism. When your body isn't sufficiently hydrated, your body jumps in to starvation mode, slowing the metabolism and holding on to fat cells which contain high levels of fluid.

4. Energizes Muscles. Lean muscle tissue is about 75% water. Cells that don’t maintain the proper balance of fluid and electrolytes actually shrivel, causing muscle fatigue (not to mention shrinking muscles on that hot body you’ve been working so hard to obtain).

5. Better Exercise. Lacking proper hydration can hamper athletic performance, slowing you down or making it harder for you to lift weights. Exercise actually requires additional water, so be sure to drink plenty before you head to the gym, and go ahead and carrying that fashionable bottle with you, too.

For a quick test to see if you're getting enough water, check out Keith's article "Take The Pee Test".