The Unexpected Secrets to Getting Enough Water

*Swimming bottle of water in the water on sky background. Shutterstock.*

21. Do you need to drink when you swim?

Yes of course! While swimming, you should drink an additional 16 ounces of fluids two hours before a swim so you go into the pool well hydrated. Because, while you’re in the water, usually you do not notice that you’re sweating. As your body sweats when you swim, you need to replace that water. One of the most commonly asked questions is ‘do you sweat when you are swimming?’ The quick answer is yes, but that’s not quite all there is to it. Because you are in the water your body is cooled more rapidly so you probably aren’t aware that you are sweating most of the time.

To rehydrate properly afterward you should drink about 8 ounces every 20 minutes unless you’re in the pool for less than half an hour. Maybe you would think that by putting water on your skin you would improve moisture, however topical hydration is not as helpful as you would assume. Water that comes into contact with the skin quickly evaporates and takes away many of the skin’s natural oils.

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Doctor advises. A medical worker holds a drink water sign, healthy lifestyle concept. Shutterstock.

22. Practical advice

To prevent dehydration and to make sure your body has the fluids that it needs, get in the habit of drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning. A glass of water with each meal and a few more glasses of water throughout the day are really key to establishing this healthy habit. However, If you have digestive issues, make sure to drink before you eat and not during meals because water dilutes your digestive enzymes. Drink proactively, especially before, during and after exercise, on long airplane flights and in hot weather.

Did you know: Caffeinated beverages and sugary sodas are dehydrating? Caffeine will stimulate your kidneys to excrete water, and sugary soda will pull water from your surrounding tissue to dilute the concentrated sugar in soda, thereby reducing your hydration. Instead of reaching for that cup of coffee or glass of juice as soon as you wake up in the morning, quench your thirst with a glass of water instead.

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*Earth in drop shape from on two hands. Shutterstock.*

23. The foundation of health and wellbeing

You can’t survive more than a few days without water. When we don’t drink enough it affects our entire system and causes fatigue and disease. Pure water has no sugar, fat, cholesterol or calories, and if it’s good water, it has nothing else bad, unhealthy, or fattening. Water delivers nutrients to cells, while it also helps the body eliminate waste products from the cells. Water moistens joints and acts as shock absorbers inside the eyes and spinal cord.

Drinking water and remaining hydrated helps the body maintain a constant temperature by acting as a thermostat. When a person is too hot, whether from being in a hot environment or from intense physical activity, the body sweats. When sweat evaporates, it lowers the body temperature and restores balance. For weight loss, consider drinking water when you are hungry. This reduces appetite, which is why almost every diet book recommends it. Most importantly, drinking enough promotes good health.

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24. There you have it.

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. Drinking water benefits digestion, metabolism, toxin elimination, and other functions. Water also promotes weight loss.

If you don’t live right outside of a glacier… and you are looking for the best drinking water, then look for filtered water with a hydrogen-producing stick that keeps the water alkaline and antioxidant in nature. It has similar effects to fresh glacier water. This will give you lasting vitality, keeping you young and healthy for years to come.

Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:

Benefits of alkaline ionized water by Dr. Hayashi

Brosura Hunza research

NCBI Articles, water research

Researchgate – Hydrogen-rich water for improvements of mood anxiety and autonomic nerve function in daily life

Hydration for health

Effects of hydrogen-rich water in of polycystic kidney disease

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