You know that living your life as a half-dehydrated potted plant isn’t healthy, but you’re still confused. You don’t know how much water you need daily, or why. Some folks say you have to drink ten percent of your body weight in ounces daily…but that’s obviously too much. Why do you need to drink more water, and how much do you need?
Improve Your Physical Performance
If you’re an athlete, you need water both before, during and after your workouts. The same is true for your whole day, working out or not. Before physical exercise, whatever that means to your personal body, drink a full eight ounces of water. You need to keep drinking water throughout your exercise and through your recovery afterwards. If you prefer energy drinks, look for something without added sugar. Herbal teas and fruit infusions can also be enjoyable for upping your water intake.
Prevent Poor Dental Hygiene
Water can wash away bacteria and food particles that cause bad breath. Not only can it rinse out your mouth, but it can help fight dry mouth as well. Being well hydrated can even help rebuild the enamel that you have lost over time with wear, to a certain extent. Drinking water after a meal can help rinse away bad breath, as well as offer you another time to make sure you stay hydrated.
Help your Stomach
Your digestion needs a boost from water as well, and this includes all of your digestive tract. Your stomach needs extra added water in order to be capable of digestion of food. However, not only does water help in the stomach, but in the intestines as well. Having both water and fibrous foods and vegetables can help your body be able to not be constipated. Constipation can not only cause complications with heartburn and GERD, but also hemorrhoids, bleeding, and ulceration in the intestinal tract. You definitely want your body to be processing food healthily and easily, and to have the least complications all the way through your digestion.
Water is just one of the many things you need daily, but it’s a critical portion of your daily life. Feeling thirsty and dehydrated can make you feel cranky all the way to the cellular level. Water lubricates joints and makes everything else keep running efficiently. And how much do you really need? Between eleven and fifteen cups a day! Get to drinking!
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