What about water
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From the stuff we drink and swim in, to the steam that eases congestion and the ice that reduces swelling, water is all around us (and even in us). Heck, it kind ofย isย us. โWater makes up about two thirds of who we are, and influences 100 percent of the processes in our body,โ says CamelBak hydration expert Doug Casa, PhD. That probably explains why we feel better when weโre drinking enough of it.
To learn exactly how water is helping us, as well as some creative ways to use it,
check out these 34 reasons why you should go hydrate right now.
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1. It could help with weight loss.
Anyone looking to lose weight could be helped by upping their water intake. Studies have found that when participants drink water before a meal, they lose weight faster than those who did not drink water. ย Extra H2O helps us eat less by making us feel full, and it may alsoย boost metabolism. CamelBak hydration advisor Kate Geagan, RD says itโs not uncommon to put on weight by mistaking thirst for hunger, and she offers this pro tip: Next time you feel fatigued or sluggish, โdrinking water may be just what [you] need to perk up.โ
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2. It powers our warm-weather exercise.
With the proper precautions,ย working out in the heatis usually fineโandย staying hydratedย is one of the most important things you can do. The hotter the workout, theย sweatierย we tend to get, so itโs extra important toย replaceย those lost fluids. Determiningย sweat rateย informs good rehydration strategy: โOnce an athlete [knows his or her] sweat rate, they can begin to practice replacing these fluid losses in training and be optimally prepared for [athletic exertion],โ says Casa.
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3. It keeps things moving, digestion-wise.
Water helps us, you know,ย goย by helpingย dissolveย fats and solubleย fiber. Drinking enough water preventsย constipationย and also reduces the burden on the kidneys and liver by helping toย flushย waste products. Geagan breaks it down: โIn the large intestine, water binds with fiber to increase the bulk of the stools, reduce transit time and make elimination easier. When you don’t drink enough water and fluids, the colon pulls water from stools, increasing your risk of constipation.
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4. It helps endurance athletes fight fatigue.
Water is an integral part of most any workout, and it becomes especially important in order to preventย dehydrationย during long workouts. When exercising for an hour or more, drinking water treated with carbohydrates and salts (by mixing in tablets such asย Nuun, or making aย DIY version) can help maintain fluid balance, which aids athletic performance and helps prevent post-exercise fatigue and exhaustion.
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5. It might protect against some types of cancer.
Research has found that the greater the fluid intake, the lower the incidence ofย bladder cancer, with more significant results when the fluid is water. ย Oneย possibleย reason could be that urinating more frequently prevents the buildup of bladder carcinogens. Staying hydrated may also reduce the risk of colon cancer andย breast cancer.
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Here’s why staying hydrated is basically the easiest thing you can do to improve your physical and mental health.
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6. It can improve mood.
Drinking water makes us feel so refreshed that it actually improves our state of mind. You donโt even have to be severely in need of it to benefit: Even mild dehydration has been shown to negatively impact moods.
7. Fun, frozen workouts are great for you.
When itโs too snowy or icy to go for a run, or you want a workout thatโs as fun as it is good for you, find yourself some frozen water. Tryย ice skatingย for a low-impact workout that challenges your balance, get in some hill-work whileย sledding, get a full-body workout whileย cross-country skiing, or improve your cardiovascular endurance withย snow-shoeingย .
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8. Drinking it may help prevent headaches, naturally.
Going without water for too long causes headaches for some people, and has been identified as a migraine trigger. The good news is that in a study on the effects of water on headaches, participants experienced โtotal reliefโ from their headaches within 30 minutes of drinking water (two cups, on average). Geagan says a good way to prevent headaches is to stay hydrated throughout the day. And if youโve already been hit with a ย dehydration-triggered headache, youโll need significantly more water to help it go away. She recommends drinking two to four cups of water for headache relief within one to two hours.
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9. It keeps our kidneys working.
Kidneysย remove waste from our bodies, help control our blood pressure, and balance fluids, so theyโre crucial to keeping our systems running smoothly. One surefire way to keep them working properly? Adequateย water consumption! So drink up to keep those kidneys in tip-top shape.
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10. It energizes us.
Next time youโre feeling zonked, try drinking a couple glasses of water. Feelingย tiredย is one of the first signs ofย dehydrationย and filling back up on H2O could zap the sleepiness.
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11. Soda water makes healthier cocktails.
Fizzy water is a staple forย healthierย versionsย of favorite boozyย beverages. Using seltzer water and fresh fruit instead of sugary mixers makes for a delicious, better-for-you drink (that can also help prevent dehydration).
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12. It may help keep us alert.
If youโre going to need to concentrate for long periods ofย time, keep water handy to help you stay refreshed, hydrated, andย focused: Dehydration can impair your attention span, memory, and motor skills.
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13. It protects our joints and cartilage.
Water keeps the cartilage around our joints hydrated and supple, ensuring that our joints stayย lubricated. It also protects our spinal cord and tissues, keeping usย healthyย from the inside out. Geagan explains that cartilage – the rubbery material that coats our bones – is about 85 percent water. To keep this protective material healthy, we need to keep hydrated.
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14.ย It powers our cold-weather workouts.
Most of us think of those sweaty, summer workouts as the ones we should be guzzling water before, during, and after. But staying hydrated whileย exercising in the coldย is crucial, too: One of the ways our bodies lose water is through respiration, and when we exercise in the cold, weโre working harder under the extraย layersย of clothing and breathing more heavily as a result. But even though weโre doubling down on fluid loss, one study found that cold weather weakens thirst. The result? Weโre working hard, losing water, and not getting anyย bodyย cuesย to drink up, which can lead to dehydration.
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16. It takes the edge off of hangovers.
Drinking alcohol causesย dehydration, which can lead toย hangovers. Having a glass ofย waterย with each alcoholic drink you sip is one way to offset the dehydration (and the day-after misery).
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17. It helps us think more clearly.
Dehydration causes shrinkage of brain tissue. So when we havenโt been drinking enough water, our brains have to work a lot harder to perform at the same levelย ย . One study even found that students who brought water to testsย did betterย on their exams.
18. It cleans non-toxically.
Whether you need to clean your home, clothes, dishes, laundry, or yourself, water is the basic ingredient in manyย all-naturalย cleaning products. These products have all the cleansing punch with none of theย toxicity, which isย betterย for homes, health, and the environment.
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19. Gargling keeps you healthier.
A study that followed 400 participants during cold and flu season found that those who gargled water regularly were significantly less likely to contact upper respiratory infections and that when they did, their symptoms werenโt as severe. (Maybe itโs time to supplement that flu shot with funny throat noises!).
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20. Eating it hydrates usโdeliciously.
Water-richย fruits and vegetablesย like cucumber, watermelon, and strawberries contain minerals, salts, and natural sugars the body needs for optimum hydration levels, so eating them can sometimesย rehydrateย us more effectively (and a lot more tastily) than water alone.
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21. Working out in it (yes, in it) is good for aerobic fitness.
Deep water running andย water aerobicsย offer cardio workouts without the impact. For cross training thatโsย no-impact and low-stress, hit theย pool. Then thereโsย aqua spinning,ย which has been growing in popularity for a reason: It provides a workout asย effectiveย as cycling on land, and might even offer increased cardiovascular benefits.
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22.ย Living near it is good for our health.
One study showed that good health is more prevalent the closer one lives to the coastย ย . Whether itโs the proximity to sea air, greenery, or opportunities to soak upย sunshineย on the beach,ย spending timeย near the water makes us healthier.
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23. It balances our fluids.
About 60 percent of the human body isย made of water,ย and keeping our fluids balanced means that all that water is doing itsย jobย – transporting nutrients, aiding digestion, regulating temperature, and so on.
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24. Its sounds are soothing.
Exposure to unpleasant noises (screams, scrapes, electric drills, subway trains, perhaps?) can elevate our pulse and blood pressure and cause stress hormones to be released. ย In contrast, in one study, participants ratedย bubbling waterย as the most pleasing sound they were asked to listen to. The sounds of water flowing has also been found to haveย therapeutic effects.
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25. Swimming around in it works out the body and mind.
Swimming has been found to improve long-term physical and mental health and is a great option for anyone who wants anย impact-freeย cardio workout. Those seeking peace of mind might consider diving in too; spending time in the pool is believed toย reduce depression.
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26. When frozen, it provides pain and swelling relief for soft tissue injuries.
Ice has been shown to be an effective short-termย therapyย for sprains and strains. Cold packs reduce blood flow and swelling in the affected area and alsoย treat pain.
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27. Spending time in cold water is good for athletes.
Studies show that immersion in cold water is beneficial for sustained athletic performance in the heat, and for treating muscle damage after exercise. ย On hot days, immersion in cold water can keep body temperatures level and blood flowing.
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28. Itโs been linked to heart health.
Can drinking water keep us heart healthy? There seems to be a link between risk of death from coronary heart disease and water intake:ย Researchย has shown both that consuming more water means a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease and that risk of death rises when intake of โhigh-energy fluidsโ (like soda and juice) increases.
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30. Waterbeds can help some people with back pain.
Perhaps thereโs a therapeutic reason that waterbeds were all the rage in the ’70s and โ80s. Research indicates that waterbed mattresses are associated with improving back pain symptoms and providing a good nightโs sleep (though the benefits were small).
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31. It may help relieve congestion.
Stuffy nose got you down? Inhaling steam from a humidifier or pot of boiling water can help clear upย congestion. Salt water can also break up all the gunk that makes us stuffy: Stream it from one nostril to the other with aย neti potย or try a saline nose spray to loosen things up.
Okay, so snowโs notย exactlyย water, but itโs definitely similar enough! If youโve ever spent time shoveling after a snowstorm and felt like you got a darn good workout, itโs because you did. In fact, shoveling snow makes demands on the body similar to a treadmill workout at maximum effortย ย . As long as youโre already in good cardiovascular health, grab a snow shovel the next time heavy snowfall sidetracks your workout plans! (Toย avoid injuryย and strain: Warm up first and use proper shoveling techniqueโsnow shoveling is hard work and can cause injury!).
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33. Spa therapy could relieve pain and aid relaxation.
If you suffer from chronic pain, a hot-water soak could help. Aย reviewย ofย spa therapyย (soaking in baths of hot water or mineral water) showed that it has been an effective treatment for pain and rheumatic disordersย .
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34. Soaking up steam heat is good for the heart.
Relaxing in a sauna could be asย healthyย as it is calming. In one small study, participants who sat in a sauna for 15 minutes every day for three weeks showed improved heart function and blood pumping capabilities, and were able to exercise moreย ย . Researchers concluded that sauna therapy could be an effective complement or alternative treatment for some people with chronic heart failure.
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Source: Benefits of Drinking Water That Are Backed By Science | Greatist
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