Hello my beautiful readers! I hope you all are doing well on this lovely day. I bet you are sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for me to reveal this top secret anti aging product. Now, don’t get mad at me if you have already heard of it (insert clinched teeth emoji). Drumroll please…
Keep Reading, it gets better (wink). I go to see my chiropractor on a regular basis, and he said that he treats dehydration more than anything else in the winter time. Why is this? Well, when the temperature drops and your furnace kicks on, it can get as dry as a desert in your house. The lack of humidity in the air is no bueno for your skin. Your skin is the largest organ you have (did you know that)? Like all other organs, it needs water to properly function and look good.
Organs such as your heart, brain, lungs, ect. are just a little more important, so your body takes what water you do have and hydrates them first. If you are not getting an adequate amount of water, your body starts pulling from other places (aka…your skin) to hydrate your internal organs. If there is not enough water to pull from anywhere, your organs start shutting down, and that never ends good.
Enough with the scare tactics.
Lets see how dehydrated skin compares to hydrated skin.
Dehydrated
- More prominent lines and wrinkle. When the skin is not hydrated, the cells are broken down and the outer layer starts to sag, causing wrinkles.
- Dull complexion
- Excessive Oil. When the skin is deprived of water, the cells in the body secrete oil to keep the skin hydrated.
- Overly Dry
- Acne
- Chapped, rough, or itchy skin
VS
Hydrated
- Plump, firm skin
- Even skin tone
- Balanced oil output
- Soft and Supple
- Clearer skin
- Glowing complexion
You’re probably thinking to yourself by now, “maybe I should drink more water.” The answer is Yes, yes you should! So, how much should you drink? Do coffee and other beverages count? Does it matter what kind of water you drink? Let me answer these questions for you.
How much water should you drink?
The answer depends on the individual, their height and weight, activity level, and diet. On average, you will want to drink half your body weight in ounces MINIMUM.
200 lbs = 100 ounces of water
Do coffee, tea, and other beverages count toward your water intake?
Unfortunately, NO. Beverages with caffeine and/or sugar, deplete the body even more of its hydration. Bummer! For every 8 ounces of caffeine you drink, you need 16 ounces of water to level your body back out. I’m not telling you not to drink these beverages at all, just drink them in moderation. Lord knows, I love a good cup of coffee in the morning.
Does the type of water I drink matter?
Surprisingly, not all water is created equal. Tap water, for example, contains chlorine and fluoride. Neither of these chemicals have been proven to be safe for human consumption, so drink at your own risk. Water filtered by reverse osmosis, while good, it lacks the necessary minerals that the body needs to actually absorb the water. When I buy filtered water like this, I use a product called ConcenTrace to restore some of the minerals lost. My chiropractor told me about this product while I was pregnant and said it also helps with hair loss postpartum. In my opinion, the best water for you to buy and drink is natural spring water.
Did you ever think something as simple as water could be so beneficial? Along with being uber good for your skin, here are a few other fun facts about water…
- It helps with headaches. Did you know 80% of headaches are caused by dehydration? Interesting, very interesting.
- It helps with fatigue. A 20 ounce glass of water first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) gives you more energy than a cup of coffee. FYI, I do this! I always drink 24 ounces of water first thing in the morning before my cup of coffee.
- It helps speed up your metabolism. Drinking your water will not only give you energy it will kick your body into fat burning mode. Helloooo!
- It aids in digestion. Gets your body a movin and a groovin to get the junk out, if ya know what I mean. 😉
- It detoxifies. Yes, drinking water will make you use the bathroom more, but that is a good thing! You are getting rid of all those yucky toxins that cause your body to not function properly.
Did I convince you to start drinking your water? I hope so! Although hard at first, I know you will look and feel better than ever if you start increasing your water intake. To make it easier on yourself try increasing gradually over time. Also, if you fall behind one or two days, don’t beat yourself up over it. Do your best!
I hope ya’ll enjoyed this post. To show my appreciation for your support, I am giving away a Target Gift Card (to stock up on water…or makeup) to one lucky reader. All you have to do is comment below this post and subscribe with your name and email (over in sidebar) and then check your email to “confirm” your subscription. This will give you VIP access when I post a NEW blog. Until next time…
Be Fearless. Be Beautiful! xo
