Stay Hydrated: Boost Brain, Energy, and Mood With Water

Your body depends on water to stay healthy and alive. A person can only live without water for three days, which means it’s important that you stay hydrated.

When you regularly drink water, your body functions much better and allows you to feel much better than when you don’t drink water. Its amazing how much hydration plays a role in our lives. If you become dehydrated, you can begin to vomit, go into cardiac arrest, or experience heat stroke. The benefits of water are incredible, but many don’t know how much water helps them every day.

Here are some of the greatest benefits of staying hydrated.

Increased brain functions and energy levels

Mild dehydration can cause significant problems with how your brain functions and how you feel. Your brain is 75% water, which means it’s an absolute necessity for proper brain function. In addition to how your brain works, lack of water can hinder your ability to concentrate and impact your mood.

When you drink enough water, you’ll have more energy and better reaction times. Your ability to multitask and prevent anxious feelings also stems from the amount of water you drink. Having enough water in your system increased coordination and attention.

Your physical appearance and performance is better

You lose water through sweat during physical activity, which means you need water and water-based drinks to replenish what you’ve lost. It’s important to make sure some of what you drink when exercising or sweating is water. Your muscles consist of 80% water, which makes it extremely important to stay hydrated if you want to perform at your best. When you lose even 2% of your body’s water, you’ll notice a difference in your performance and appearance.

Water can prevent hangovers

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it dehydrates your body and makes you urinate much more than you normally would. This is why you’re in the bathroom many times during a night of heavy drinking compared to an evening when you don’t drink as much. If you fail to have water after each alcoholic beverage, or at least in a large quantity before going to bed, you’ll likely wake up with a hangover. Drinking a large amount of water can help stave off the hangover, and drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic drink could help you avoid becoming drunk.

Constipated? Drink water

Constipation is one of the most uncomfortable feelings you can have in your regular daily life. This is the body’s inability to pass stool, which means you’ll feel bloated and like you need to go, even when nothing comes out. Your digestive system needs water to properly function and that includes flushing feces, urine, and toxins from your body. Water helps break down soluble fiber and makes it easier to properly digest food.

Water helps you avoid kidney stones

When you stay hydrated regularly, you have a much lower chance of having kidney stones than people who don’t drink much water. Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals that crystalize in the body. Water dilutes mineral concentration in the urine to help prevent it from crystallizing. High water intake also helps pass kidney stones when they form, which means your doctor will likely tell you to drink lots of water as one of the first actions to take when a kidney stone has formed.

Helps with weight loss

When you drink more water, you’ll likely eat less because you won’t be hungry as often. Water also increases the body’s metabolism and helps you burn more calories. When you drink water before meals, you’ll feel fuller and suppress your appetite. This allows you to crave less food and take in fewer calories, which means you’ll lose weight. This simple act isn’t something you’ll hear advertised much because it seems too simple to work, but it can work for some people.

Water regulates your body temperature

One of the most important reasons to stay hydrated is to regulate your body temperature. Water helps your body cool down, which is essential during hot days when you’re outside or after you’ve been active and sweating. When you’re properly hydrated, you’ll sweat, which can cool your body. If you have low water levels, your body’s heat storage increases, and your ability to tolerate heat decreases. This can lead to heat stroke, which can be a long-term problem.

It’s extremely important to your overall health and wellness to drink water and stay hydrated. Water is important for every aspect of your physical, mental, and emotional health. Make water a regular part of your everyday life.