Drink More Water: Why Dehydration Is More Harmful Than You Thought

So we all remember the days when our parents would place a glass of water at our bedside nightstand so that if you got thirsty throughout the night you didn’t need to move much further than an arm’s reach.
Back then we didn’t think too much of it, but maybe they were on to something we just didn’t think about. According to a new study done by the University of Florida, 75% of Americans suffer from dehydration without even knowing it.
Dehydration is the leading cause of headaches, migraines, and fatigue. Doctors and Dietitians alike are suggesting a new “water treatment” to their patients.
New studies have shown that people who drink water as the first thing they do when they wake up have increases in physical and mental health.
As you sleep through the night you lose an excessive amount of water that your body needs to replenish.
This practice is best done as the first thing done when you wake up in the morning. Doctors suggest drinking 16 oz of water, before you brush your teeth or eat breakfast. It sounds crazy but the results speak for themselves.

Reinforces Healthy Weight Loss

Drinking plenty of water before breakfast showed amazing statistics in weight loss. To start drinking water helps curb cravings and your appetite helping you save on breakfast. Doctors say,

“Drinking water on an empty stomach helps release the toxins from the digestive tract helping cleanse and increase your metabolic rate by 30 percent which helps out with your ability to lose weight.

Brenda Davy a Professor on nutrition and metabolism conducted a study and found amazing results:

“We found in earlier studies that middle aged and older people who drank two cups of water right before eating a meal ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories during that meal.In this recent study, we found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals, three times per day, lost about 5 pounds more than dieters who did not increase their water intake.”

So throw away those diet pills, those special diet programs that don’t work, and that eating schedule you use. The key may be in drinking a glass of water in the morning.

Improves your Complexion and Skin Health

When you are dehydrated your organs pull water from your skin cells which causes your skin to look dry, flaky, and your eyes to appear darker and more sunken, which in turn ages you.
On the flip side staying hydrated helps keep you looking younger and healthier.
Your skin is the largest organ you own, just like your other organs it needs plenty of water to survive. Feed your skin, and you can see major improvements in your skin long term.

Healthy Hair

Have you ever wondered why your hair has been thinning out or why you have been struggling with the growth of your beard? Of course genetics have a lot to do with hair growth but It could possibly be dehydration.
Studies have shown that more water helps with hair vitamins and hair health inside and out. Water helps regulate the circulatory system, which feeds the hair follicle, which in turn helps out with hair growth and the natural shine of hair follicles.

Boosts your energy

You ever wake up in the morning exhausted, in a bad mood, and coffee and energy drinks only temporarily solve the problem? A latte in the morning is an expensive and temporary fix that will actually make the problem worse.
A glass of water in the morning is a free and long term fix that other drinks aren’t. With dehydration comes fatigue which make you very irritable and hard to be around.
Muscle fatigue is also another symptom of dehydration that can make the most mundane daily tasks that much harder.

Strengthens Immune System

This is a major and long term effect of drinking water. Drinking plenty of water keeps your digestive system strong so that you can properly digest your food.
Without proper digestion you won’t get the necessary nutrients from your food, which can prove to create long term costly effects later down the line.
Water balances and flushes the lymphatic system, which can lead to increased levels of immunity from common illnesses.