The Many Health and Beauty Benefits of Drinking Water + How to Drink Enough

Ah, the many health and beauty benefits of drinking water! And yet, we still have a hard time drinking enough. Crazy, right?!

Drinking enough water every day is arguably the best thing we can do for our well-being. Why?

Because there are so many benefits to drinking enough water and so many things that can go wrong if we don’t.

In this article, I will go over all things water-the health and benefits of drinking water, how much water we should be drinking every day, what happens if we don’t drink enough water, and easy ways to drink enough water every day!

Sound good? Let’s get started.

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Water is life!

It’s been said that water is life! And it’s true. Water is essential to life because all life forms are dependent on it. So we can’t live without it.

Science tells us that humans can only survive 3-5 days without water. That’s crazy when you take a second to dwell on that fact of life. Just 3-5 days.

We need water to survive, but we also need enough of it to live healthy lives! The benefits of drinking good clean water are endless. Here’s a quick rundown.

Health Benefits of Drinking Water

• It can increase energy levels
• Rids the body of toxins through
• Proper water intake boosts immunity
• Lubricates and cushions joints
• Water curbs hunger. More water=, less hungry 
• Maintains normal body temperature
• It keeps that dreaded brain fog at bay (Really!)
• It helps the kidneys do what the kidneys do best
• Relieves that whole constipation thing 
• Helps skin health (Looks + feels younger!)
• Hangover helper

Beauty Benefits of Drinking Water

• Flushes Toxins which in turn improves the health and appearance of the skin
• Helps to maintain a good ph balance in the skin
• Drinking ample amounts of water can help slowly tighten skin
• Prevents breakouts
• Keeps skin moist and healthy looking
• Water keeps your body hydrated and refreshed and helps maintain your skin’s elasticity.
• Keeps eyes well lubricated and helps keep the red out!
• Improves eye puffiness and dark circles

Related article: Nighttime Self-care Routine

Our bodies depend on water to survive

Water makes up about 50% to 70% of our body weight.

Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 50% to 70% of your body weight. Every cell, tissue, and organ needs water to work correctly.

Symptoms of Dehydration (not drinking enough water!)

1. Headaches
2. Bad Breath
3. Constipation
4. Dull and dry skin
5. Joint pain
6. Fatigue and brain fog
7. Dry Eyes
8. Weight gain.
9. Dry mouth. 
10. UTI (Urinary Tract Infections)
11. Muscle loss

Water is the Best Medicine

Water is truly the best medicine for any illness. It’s the first line of defense for every healthy complaint and ailment under the sun.

Got a headache? Drink some water. Brain fog? Water. Joints hurt? Water. Want a avoid a hangover? Water.

When all else fails: Increase your water intake!

How much water do I need to drink?

I used to go with eight glasses per day. Sound familiar? It’s a good goal, but it may not be enough.

You might need to modify the total water intake based on several factors:

• Exercise. You must drink extra water to cover the fluid loss if you sweat (and it’s good if you do…). Drink water before, during, and after a workout.
  
• Environment. Dehydration can occur in hot and or humid climates and at high altitudes.
  
• Health Status. If you have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea- you need to increase your daily intake of fluids. Likewise, Sames holds if you suffer from urinary tract infections or kidney stones.
  
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may need additional fluids to stay hydrated.
  
  Source

Related Article: The Health & Beauty Benefits of Coconut Water

Quick Water Intake Calculation:

Word on the street is that we should drink about half to two-thirds of our body weight in ounces. So, for example, a 200-pound adult needs approximately 150 ounces of water daily. AT LEAST.  

What are the Symptoms of Dehydration?

If you follow the calculation of drinking at least half of your body weight in the water in ounces, you should be good to go.

But if you want to make sure you are drinking enough water, here are a few ways to be sure:

1. Look at the color of your urine. Your urine will be clear or pale yellow if you drink enough water. Darker urine means you aren’t drinking enough water, and you need to increase water intake asap.

2. Test your skin. Pinch the skin on the back of your hand for a few seconds. If it immediately returns to normal, you are well hydrated; you need to drink more water if it doesn’t.

How to Increase Water Intake Daily

Here are a few simple tips to help you drink enough water daily. And as an additional bonus, many of these tips are also great for weight loss!

1. Drink a FULL GLASS right when you wake up before anything else! Keep a large glass of water on your bedside table and down it first thing.
   
2. Drink 8 ounces before you eat a meal or even a snack. Every meal. Every snack.
   
3. Use a hydration app to remind you to drink water and keep track of your water intake.
   
4. Buy a reusable water bottle with timestamps (I love mine!)
   
5. Keep a pitcher of fresh water on your desk.
   
6. Buy some new water glasses. Water tastes better when it’s in a pretty glass.
   
7. Drink the best water you can get your hands on. Springwater is great!
   
8. Eat water-rich foods such as lettuce, cucumbers, and watermelon.
   
9. When you finish a glass of water, fill it right away, even if you are not thirsty!
   
10. Set a timer on your phone for every hour. Drink 8 ounces. Repeat.
    
11. Add lemon or other flavors like raspberry or mint to your water.
    
12. When you set the table for dinner, pour everyone a glass of water.
    
13. Snack on salty foods to encourage thirst (This one works for me!)
    
14. Try sparkling water (I like Pellegrino!)

Related Article: How to Start a Self-Care Routine

Use a Water App

Not drinking enough water? There’s an app for that!

It may seem overkill, but using a water app helped improve my daily water consumption! There are several hydration apps available.

I have found that less is more for this kind of app. Some of them are way too complicated!

The WaterMinder App

I use the WaterMinder App. I think it costs $4.99.

I like that this app is easy to use. It calculates the amount of liquid I need to consume daily based on my body weight. In addition, it easily keeps track of all beverages I drink daily based on serving sizes in ounces, which I set up in advance.

I have it set up to send daily reminders, making it easy to hit your target intake. Lifesaver!

So there you have it.  

Health and Beauty Benefits of Drinking Water

I think it’s safe to say that there are plenty of health and beauty benefits of drinking water and some pretty bad stuff that can happen if we don’t drink enough water- So it should be easy enough to drink our fair share daily, right?

Do you drink enough water every day? What tips are you going to try to increase your water intake?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Bottoms up, my friends!

XO, Christine