With winter coming to the southern hemisphere, there’s one thing that I find myself doing less. While I automatically do this more on hot summer days, it’s easy to neglect it when it’s cold outside. What is it?
Drinking water!
I woke up this morning thirsty! I realised I’ve not been drinking as much water as usual and it’s actually not good for me.
Water is known as the ‘elixir of life’. There are so many benefits to it that they are worth outlining as a reminder to myself to keep my water bottle full, not just when I’m exercising, but also when I’m working.
What does water do for you?
~ Hydration~
Water is central to the health of your body. You are made up of 60% water, so to keep everything running well, it’s good to drink enough of it each day for all the things it’s used for. And, it’s used for a lot! From the moment it passes your lips, it assists with the creation of saliva and digestion; it helps with carrying nutrients into and around your body; it filters and moistens waste products; and altogether maintains a balance of your body fluids. That’s when you drink to thirst. Overdoing it can throw that balance out more dangerously than under-drinking, so be aware of that. In winter, I prefer hot drinks, but loading up on extra coffee with added milk and cream is not what I’m after. I boil the kettle and have hot water with lemon. Sometimes I’ll throw in a rooibos teabag. I still get the comfort of a hot drink without the extras.
~ Weight Loss ~
Some say that by drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, you can lose weight. I’m not so sure about this, but those who stand by it probably have replaced sugar- laden fizzy drinks with natural water and that has cut their calories. You can only drink so much, so by throwing out high energy beverages and bringing in beautiful, clear, regular non additive water, you are bound to see the benefits. Detoxing comes to mind. #Sigh! If only I didn’t love dairy so much. Perhaps that is something I can consider doing. Having a coffee fast and ditching my addiction to cream! Dairy is known to inhibit weight loss in women, especially those who are low carbing. October is the next month that has a C in it. So ‘coffee free October?’ I have three and a half months to gear myself up for that. Hmm. Why wait? I’ll have to think about it!
~ Water During Exercise ~
Every cell needs water and even more so when you are exercising. Take the water out of a cell and it shrivels and becomes less active. When you are exercising, you need happy, fat, buoyant cells, so drinking during exercise is important. Don’t over-hydrate yourself, but drink to thirst. Just do what comes naturally. If you are thirsty, have a glass of water. Our brain tells us we are thirsty – it’s good like that, so just listen to it!
~ Healthy Skin ~
If you want your skin to improve, ditch sugar and drink water. Hydrated and glowing comes to mind when thinking of how skin reacts to plain water with no additives.
~ Free Flowing Waste ~
There are few things that can be more irritating for our bodies than having a urinary tract infection or to be constipated. Awkward to talk about, constipation is one of the biggest issues when you go low carb. You aren’t having as much fibre, so your stools become hard and dry. Drinking more water is the first step to combating constipation. Keep your renal system happy by drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
So there you go. It’s a free God-given gift! Use it.
The Bible speaks about water in many different places, but none more important than the words of Jesus, who offers us spiritual water than will never run dry. He is the ultimate Well, from which springs all we need for abundant Life.
John 4:14
“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂