3 Reasons to Drink Water Everyday

Today Lizzy learns…why you should drink water everyday

Drink water every day. Most of us have heard how important it is to drink plenty of water throughout the day. After all our bodies are made up of approximately 60% of water. But what if we don’t incorporate water into our diet on a regular basis? It is well known that it can lead to dehydration. However, there are more great reasons why you should prioritize hydration.

1, To protect your brain | To put it simply, your brain can shrink from dehydration! By not drinking enough water throughout the day, you brain is forced to work a lot harder to accomplish every day tasks. Its believed that a 1% dehydration can cause a 4-5% decrease in cognitive function. To put it into perspective a decrease in brain hydration of 2% can cause short term memory loss. What are some signs dehydration is effecting your mental health? Look out for symptoms such as brain fog, depression or sleep issues.

2. Prevent joint pain | By getting adequate amount of water throughout the day, you are helping your body flush out toxins in your body. This can help decrease friction between bones as well as reduce inflammation. When you don’t have enough water in your system, your joints are negatively effected as they try to combat inflammation leading to discomfort.

3) Decrease risk for a stroke | It is known that 60% of stroke patients are dehydrated. Dehydration can cause your blood to thicken which makes it more difficult to for the blood to freely and easily flow through the blood vessels to the brain.

How to Drink More Water

Sometimes its a challenge to make sure you are staying adequately hydrated. If you can’t seem to hit your daily goal, try some of these tricks to help!

Eat more fruits and vegetables that have high water content (water, strawberry, cantaloupe, etc.)
Flavor your water with fruits
Make it part of your routine
Find a favorite water bottle
Set reminders on your phone or fitness tracker