We’re all aware of the important role that drinking water plays in our health. Since about 60% of the human body is made up of water, staying hydrated is vital for our bones, cells and muscles to function properly.
Starting our day with a glass of water has proven to have many health benefits:
- Purges toxins and makes your skin glow
- Increases the rate at which new muscle and blood cells are produced
- Drinking cold water in the morning boosts your metabolism by 24% and helps you lose weight
- Purifies the colon
- Cures illness and diseases, including vomiting, diarrhea and headaches
- Maintains our balance of bodily fluids
Since we naturally lose a lot of water throughout the day through things like breathing, urinating and sweating, we need to regularly fill up our glasses or bottles in order to replenish our fluids. We’re often told that we should drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. But what happens if we don’t heed this advice?
After a night of (hopefully) peaceful slumber, your body wakes up feeling dehydrated. This should come as no surprise since when you sleep, you typically go 7 to 8 hours without having had anything to drink. Thus, if you continue to deprive yourself of getting the H2O it needs, it can have severe repercussions on your health. Not getting enough water can result in fatigue and lack of blood flow to your tissues. You may also experience any one of the following problems or conditions:
- Low blood pressure
- Headaches
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Decreased strength in muscles
- Constipation
- Muscle spasms
Not starting your day with a glass of water, may cause you to replace this form of hydration with something less healthy, such as juice or coffee. While fruit juices, soda and coffee contain some element of water, it is not enough to allow your body to adequately perform its duties. In addition, these other liquids also contain high amounts of caffeine, which will actually dehydrate you.
Furthermore, having something other than water to start your day may propel you to continue refilling your cup with these less healthy alternatives. Like a child who says they’ll only watch one episode of a TV show before starting their homework, drinking a cup of coffee or fruit juice before pouring yourself a glass of water may further steer you away from the latter as these other drinks tend to be more enjoyable and pleasing to our taste buds. In addition to caffeine, they also contain sugar, which can be addictive.
In some cases, we may mistake our feeling of dehydration for one of hunger and indulge in a meal to satisfy this need. Eating when we’re thirsty as opposed to when we’re hungry can cause us to consume more food than is necessary. In turn, this can lead to unnecessary weight gain.
Knowing about the benefits of drinking water first thing in the morning may not always be enough to motivate you to do so. However, being aware of the health risks that may result in not starting your day with water should make you think twice about starting your day with something else.
Source: Family Life Goals
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