5 Reasons I Started Drinking Three Liters of Water Daily

Your Water Intake Affects You More Than You Think

Do you ever feel like everyone is annoying you through the day, your head hurts, and you feel exhausted for no reason? Your body may need water! Whenever I complain of a headache or feeling low, a friend of mine always asks, “Did you drink enough water today?”. The question is infuriating, but the outcome is necessary.

Water makes up about 50–70% of the human body. Every part of your body needs water to function, down to the cells! I never took staying hydrated seriously. I would drink maybe one liter a day. If I had any issues, I would find other solutions. Hydration was just not on my mind. I never even took it as an essential factor in nutrition. All until I put my foot down to stop taking as many dietary supplements and critically examine my habits. One of the main things I found was the endless articles on the benefits of staying hydrated. There are many more benefits to staying hydrated, but these are the ones that impacted me the most.

Helps with Physical Performance

I’m not an athlete, but I am active enough to research ways to improve my performance when engaged in a sport. Losing as little as 1–2% of your body’s water through sweat can significantly affect your body during physical activity, resulting in increased heart rate, core temperature and decreased cognitive awareness. Sweat allows your body to cool down, but the water loss must be replaced. Additionally, when we sweat, we also lose electrolytes. I use water additives when I work out, but sports drinks work similarly in replacing fluid and electrolytes lost through sweat.

Being adequately hydrated also helps to lubricate your joints; this allows for increased mobility. Mobility is a key factor in a healthy, independent lifestyle. Mobility encompasses all required skills for daily life, such as balance, range of motion, strength, stamina, and even coordination. This applies to people who are otherwise healthy. Some conditions result in less synovial fluid (joint lubricant) that must be managed by medical treatment.

Helps to Control Calories/ Eat Healthier

At one point in my life, I was well over what is considered a healthy weight. I am not fatphobic, but I was unhealthy and unhappy. Changing my eating habits was extremely difficult for me. I had gotten so used to eating so much and so often. It all changed when I started drinking more water and opting for ‘water-rich’ foods.

I don’t just drink a lot of plain water; I also drink sparkling water. Unfortunately, many sparkling water brands have excess sugars and artificial sweeteners. This fact made me slightly hesitant to drink these beverages regularly. So, the real turning point came when my friend purchased a soda maker for my birthday.

Fruit-infused sparkling water became my go-to drink. Instead of giving in to sugar cravings, I would drink my sparkling water. All the liquid would also make me feel full, so naturally, I lost weight. Point to note, I was never eating too little, just enough to keep fit. You can find the one I own here. (this is not an affiliate link; I’m just obsessed with it.)

Aids In Digestion

Stop spending an hour on the toilet. Drink more water! That being said, this is only a solution if you don’t have any gastrointestinal diseases and eat enough fiber. Your intestines absorb water and nutrients as food travels down your digestive tract. If you haven’t consumed enough water, your stool becomes quite hard after that absorption. This leads to constipation. Chronic constipation can lead to further issues that can be pretty bothersome. Therefore, eat your fiber and drink your water to keep your bowels happy.

Helps with Headaches

I get headaches from just a few hours of not drinking water, which is usually combined with being tired and moody. Within 30 minutes to an hour of drinking water, I start to feel better.

But why?

Dehydration may result in headaches and migraines in many people. The migraines can be triggered or prolonged by water deprivation due to impaired concentration and increased irritability. The exact mechanisms of why this happens are unknown; however, drinking 16–32 ounces of water will relieve you within an hour or two.

So, if you are someone who experiences lots of headaches, try drinking some water next time before reaching for medicine. Although I support using medicine when a health issue disrupts your life, I also support finding easy solutions first (if they exist).

Makes Your Skin Look Juicy!

I am currently obsessed with my skin. Moving to Canada from The Bahamas and no longer having the island’s humidity made me realize I have dry skin, which was made even drier by the lack of hydration from water intake.

Your skin contains water, among many other components; therefore, adequate hydration is essential. Drinking enough water will increase skin thickness and density and improve skin hydration. Using a good quality moisturizer to seal that natural moisture with a physical barrier is also beneficial.

Although hydration helps reduce the skin’s dry and wrinkly look, drinking excess water will not reduce signs of aging due to genetics, sun exposure, and other environmental factors. The kidneys will take over and excrete your extra fluids.

Water makes up a large percentage of our body. Every part of us needs water to function correctly. An average adult male needs 3.7 liters of water daily, and an average adult female needs 2.7 liters. Even if you aren’t thirsty, ensure you’re hitting your water goals so you look and feel your best! Drinking too much water is hard, but it is still possible, so keep everything in moderation.

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