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. π
- 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
Today I drank 32oz of coffee. I’m a working mom, don’t judge me. So, doubling that and drinking 1/2 my body weight I should technically consume 97 oz of water, which would require a visit the restroom every half hour. Does your body ever regulate itself, or do people who consume the appropriate amount of water always visit the restroom more frequently?
Your body does get use to it and regulate. Even so, just think of it as releasing toxins every time you go to the ladies room π
Great post!! So what IS the best water to drink everyday? Just the filtered with the added minerals?
I would recommend natural spring water Shawna. Great question, I also updated it in the post π
I really need to start drinking more water at home. While I’m at work I drink it all day like it’s going out of style but at home, I simply don’t think about it.
I think a lot of people are in the same boat. It’s not something we intentionally think about all the time. π
I completely agree! Very few people drink enough water. I really start to feel it when I get busy and just forget to drink enough. Great reminder of why it’s important π
Thank you for this reminder! I always feel amazing when I keep up with water intake, but all the information you provided just motivated me to start again! Amazing facts and scary.
I’m glad it motivated you Elizabeth π
I found this post real interesting and inspired to drink more water and really try to cut down on caffeine and alcohols.
Thanks!
I love this post! I have an extremely busy schedule… I have esthetics classes Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30-12:30, then I work 2:00pm-10:30 pm… I tend to forget to drink anything and I can really see it affect me. This is a great reminder that I need to not forget about it. Also as much as I try to drink water sometimes I just get bored… Are adding those little powdered things to it bad? I know it’s not as good as just water… But can they be bad for you?
Hey Brittani! It is so easy to get busy and forget to drink water. The packets are not the greatest for you, but if it helps you get your water in, then go for it. After you get use to drinking the water, maybe then you can cut back on the packets.
Wow I learned a bunch! Thanks for all the info. I will be implementing these new tips.
No prob. I’m glad it helped Michelle. xo
I can never get enough. Water is the best remedy for a lot of things. Thanks for sharing!!!
You’ve got that right, Yesenia! Thank you for reading. xo
I can’t wait to start drinking more water now that I’ve read this. I hardly drink any
It is easy to get busy and forget to drink it. Thank you for your comment. xo