If I were to tell you that good healthy eating and solid nutrition starts with one ingredient, and that if you were to consume the right quantities of that ingredient it would almost guarantee you success – would you ingest that ingredient daily? Would you actually make sure you got sufficient enough of that ingredient, everyday?
Well there is such an ingredient. It is the magic pill so to speak. It is just simply water. All you have to do is to drink, at a minimum, 68 ounces or 2 Liters of water everyday and you will be healthy. Not right away, but being consistently hydrated and turning to water first is a key progression toward a healthy lifestyle. It is amazing how many people adopt a diet plan, a workout routine, a self improvement program and they do not include the most important ingredient – water.
Here are the facts backed by countless research studies. The evidence for water consumption is indisputable.
Water absolutely impacts your energy levels. Have a hard time feeling energized during the day? Feeling sluggish and tired? Is your performance struggling? Are you having a hard time making it through the day, or through the workout? Fluid loss is the #1 culprit to energy loss. There is no way around this fact. You can try to pretend it is something else. You can try to mask the problem by drinking more coffee or eating more sugar, but here is the deal. Your body needs water to maintain energy levels and regulate temperature.
Water effects your mood and therefore your motivation. Feeling lethargic, out of sorts, and just generally struggling with being positive? Look no further than your water consumption. This should be the first thing to look at. Before you blame your spouse, your kids, your job, your friends, or President Trump you should look first at how hydrated you are. Scientific evidence shows that fluid loss absolutely impacts your mood.
Water impacts your ability to concentrate. Are you struggling to maintain alertness? Do you really need to focus on something and getting irritated because your mind is constantly wandering? Well, there is a good chance that you are slightly dehydrated. Water consumption directly impacts your brain’s ability to function as the highest possible level. You might even get a headache from lack of water, and that really impacts your ability to concentrate.
Water increases metabolism. People always comment about a skinny person and they say, wow that person has a fast metabolism they can eat anything. Well, I can tell you this. A well hydrated person that drinks an ample supply of water automatically has a metabolism boost. By how much? Well, studies have shown that you can boost your metabolism by greater than 20% by just consuming sufficient water before eating. This metabolism decreases after a few hours, but the point is that you can burn calories faster by having enough water before you eat. Also, other research indicates that you actually burn more calories per day if you are always hydrated. If you drink enough water, you will burn a rough estimate of about 100 calories extra per day. That is over 5,000 calories per year just by staying hydrated!
Water decreases your appetite. In addition to helping you burn more calories more efficiently, water also reduces appetite. If you drink a few cups (right around 2) of water before each meal, research indicates that you will reduce the number of calories that you will eat in one sitting dramatically. There have been several studies where they have people drink water before a meal and see what happens. Well, effectively the people that drink water before they eat, just simply eat less and because of that demonstrate almost 50% more weight loss. Just by drinking water before the meal.
Water solves lots of other health problems. Reduces toxins in the body, lubricates everything, helps with joint health, helps digestion, reduces constipation, reduces your risk of cancer , helps you have healthy and vibrant skin. The list is longer than this, I am sure.
The point is just drink more water and be more healthy. Perhaps you should start with the simple, most powerful life improving habit rather than starting some fancy new program?
Guy Reams
