The Importance of Water and Hydration

What do you know about the importance of hydration for your body? Today we are taking a look at how water plays an important role in our bodies.

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Insufficient Hydration is The #1 Cause of Daytime Fatigue

Did you know that insufficient hydration is the number one cause of daytime fatigue? Not lack of sleep, or lack of coffee- it’s insufficient hydration.

Insufficient hydration is the number one cause of daytime fatigue

You can get past that afternoon slump simply by drinking water. 

This makes sense because your brain is about 73 percent water, your heart 73 percent water, your lungs are over 80 percent water. And overall, the human body itself is approximately 55-75 percent water. Even your bones are 30 percent water! (According to data published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry)

That 55-75 percent range of how much of your body is actually made up of water depends on your age, your gender and your lifestyle influences.

Not only does dehydration cause fatigue, according to research conducted by the US military, just a one to two percent drop in your body’s baseline hydration level is enough to depress your cognitive function. 

What is Cognitive Function?

According to Cereboost, cognitive functions encompass reasoning, memory, attention and language. These functions lead directly to the attainment of information and thus knowledge. 

Let’s break that down. Simply by not getting enough water, you are more likely to be tired and decrease your basic functioning of your reasoning, memory, attention and language.

That is absolutely mind-blowing, especially considering that approximately 75 percent of Americans are significantly dehydrated on a regular basis. 

Think of all the problems you can solve in your daily life simply by drinking more water! Are you realizing the importance of hydration?! Avoiding dehydration will keep you more alert, help you focus at work and in general, help you to retain more information and make you more reasonable! This can help in so many areas of your life. Road rage? No longer an issue! Hit an afternoon slump at work? Not any more! Have trouble remembering details at work? Not a worry! 

How Can Drinking Water Help With Weight Loss?

To take it a step further, proper hydration can also aid in weight loss. According to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, it was found that drinking about 17 ounces of water within a minute or two can temporarily boost your metabolic rate by 30 percent. 

Though this is a temporary metabolic increase, you are burning more calories! How the heck does this work? 

This process is called water-induced thermogenesis. Water-induced thermogenesis is a boost that your metabolism gets from drinking water. When you drink water, your body has to heat and process the water you are taking in. 

Even though it is a temporary boost in your metabolism, it’s pretty amazing that plain ol’, calorie-free water can do such a thing! 

To further aid in weight loss, a University of Washington experiment found that a single glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100 percent of the dieters in the study. The study found that they weren’t hungry, they were thirsty. 

If you are trying to lose weight, the next time you reach for a midnight snack, grab a glass of water instead! 

Now that we know the importance of hydration and water, it’s time to take action. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding hydration and water.

How Much Water Should I Drink? 

It is recommended that you drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you divide that in half and get 75. You then know that you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of water daily. 

I always forget to drink water! Any tips for remembering to drink water during the day?

You can set alarms or alerts on your phone to remind you to drink water! You can also jump on Amazon and purchase a cheap water bottle like THIS ONE that has the time of day listed. This helps you remember during the day to keep drinking! Also keep your water bottle with you at all times. If your water bottle is handy, you are more likely to reach for it. 

Will drinking this much water make me have to pee all the time? I don’t have time for that during the day. 

At first you may find yourself running to the bathroom more frequently. Your body does adjust though! Give your body time to adjust. 

Key Statistics and Takeaways

• Insufficient hydration is the number one cause of daytime fatigue.
• Just a one to two percent drop in your body’s baseline hydration level is enough to depress your cognitive function.
• Approximately 75 percent of Americans are significantly dehydrated on a regular basis.
• It is recommended that you drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you divide that in half and get 75. You then know you should drink 75 ounces of water daily. 

Bottom Line

Are you surprised to learn about these statistics? Did you know the importance of hydration? Leave a comment below with your favorite ways to stay hydrated!