Drinking water is extremely important for our overall wellbeing, and yet it is something many of us don’t do enough. 60% of the human body is comprised of water. Even when you’re just sitting down, your body is perspiring to regulate comfortable temperatures, so it’s important to replenish the body with the fluids it needs. Here are a few benefits of water that will help incentivize you to drink more water:
- Promotes Healthy Weight Loss
-
Water acts a natural appetite suppressant and can even improve your metabolism. Drinking water before eating can help you feel more full and thus eat less. This is particularly beneficial for incoming freshman freaking about the famous “freshman 15.”
- Flushes Out Toxins
-
Drinking water boosts the amount of times you sweat and urinate. The more you do this, the more toxins you flush out. This is why “sweating it out” can help you feel better. Water is also a natural lubricant that helps release the contents of your colon that would otherwise dry out and get stuck.
- Improves Complexion and Prevents Aging
-
Drinking at least two cups of water increases the amount of blood flow to the skin. This in turn can help even out your skin tone and complexion. Furthermore, it can help clear acne, reduce pore size, slow aging, speed up healing, reduce puffiness, and tighten skin. Water also helps your skin maintain moisture, which increases its elasticity. In simple terms, more water equals fewer wrinkles.
- Boosts Immune System
-
Having a strong immune system as a student is imperative to staying on track with classes. By drinking water, your body more easily carries oxygen to blood cells. This allows for bodily systems to work properly and optimally. Overall, you’ll feel and perform better physically.
- Prevents Bad Breath
-
Dehydration can cause bad breath because when we are dehydrated, the production of saliva decreases. Saliva works as an antibacterial that neutralizes acids and prevents plaque from forming. That’s why most of us wake up with “morning breath.”
- Improves Mood
-
Researchers from the University of Connecticut found that people who didn’t drink enough water were more cranky and fatigued. When you are even slightly dehydrated, you can experience lower moods, headaches, sleepiness, and confusion. If you are the type to forget to drink water, set reminders on your smartphone or download an app that reminds you to replenish your body and mind with water.
Most medical professionals recommend 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, but the amount of water you should be drinking changes depending on lifestyle factors such as exercise and weight. A good way to figure out if you are drinking enough water is by the color of your urine. Try to keep your urine colorless or light yellow to ensure that you are drinking adequate amounts of water.
College can be overwhelming at times, but by remembering to drink water, we can boost our overall physical and mental health and ease the stress that comes with school.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets.