When you think of one thing you most definitely cannot live without, what do you think of?
Your phone? Your moisturiser? Coffee? I think of water…
Water is one of the most basic necessities we need every single day. Did you know that we can only survive 3 days without water?
There are many benefits of drinking water, for example, it protects your body's tissue and joints, assists your body in getting rid of waste and toxins, as well as helping with digestion, drinking water helps your brain function and overall keeps us from becoming dehydrated… DUH!
It's undeniable that we need water but, how much water should you be drinking and what are some ways you can keep yourself on track and accountable for how much you've consumed throughout the day?
How much water should you drink?
Many health experts suggest using the 8x8 rule which is eight 8ounce (or 236.588ml if your Aussie likes us!) glasses of water each day equaling about 2 litres total. However, this does differ from person to person and is dependent on external factors so, it is recommended to speak to a health care professional to get a more personal recommendation.
Does drinking water improve the health of your skin?
Now it’s time for the burning question on everyone’s lips… does drinking more water improve your skin?
Although there are plenty of reasons why drinking water is important to maintaining your overall health, can you really drink your way to clear, bouncy, glowy skin? The answer is yes and no…
A small study published in 2015 by the Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology suggests that there is indeed a relationship between drinking H2O and the overall health of your skin. However, what’s important to note here is that it was those that were dehydrated to begin with that noticed the greatest benefits. So the bad news is, if you’re already a well hydrated queen, there is probably no benefit in consuming any additional water over and above your usual daily intake.
The great news is that if you’re lazy like me, and always forget to drink your water, there is a benefit for your skin in upping your daily intake of H2O and staying diligent with tracking your water consumption. The study showed a positive impact on skin appearance and skin hydration levels when those thirsty individuals went from being dehydrated to well hydrated. Woohoo!
Tracking your water consumption
So, how do us dehydrated hotties do better at staying on top of our water consumption?
A very easy way to up your water intake is getting a water bottle with times on it. May we shamelessly suggest our 1L time tracking bottle? The time tracker creates a timeline for where you should be at different stages of the day and helps keep you accountable!
When you have a water bottle with times it is also extremely convenient as it's reusable (and we love a sustainable queen!) You also won't be falling short while out and about when you feel your thirst coming on.
Some other tips to up your water intake are:
- Drink a glass of water before each meal
- Replace soft drinks or energy drinks with water or soda water so you still have the bubbly effect!
- Set reminders- setting reminders at the same intervals your water bottle with times has is even better!
- Add flavour to your water- adding things like lemon, strawberries, mint etc adds something extra and makes it a bit more exciting!
- Drink a glass of water right when you wake up and before you go to bed
- Eat foods with a higher percentage of water in them:
- Lettuce: 96% water
- Celery: 95% water
- Zucchini: 95% water
- Cabbage: 92% water
- Watermelon: 91% water
- Rockmelon: 90% water
- Honeydew melon: 90% water
