When people talk about water and diet, the common understanding is that “diet” refers to “eating less in order to lose weight.” Although it is true that drinking water before meals can help you lose weight by making you feel fuller and so causing you to consume fewer calories, this is not the topic that we are going to be discussing here in this particular article.
In this article, I really want to focus on the impact that drinking water has not only on your metabolism but also on your entire body and how it functions.
Drinking water can help your metabolism
What exactly is meant by the term “metabolism”? Your body is constantly undergoing a series of chemical events known as metabolism, all of which are essential to maintaining life. All of these processes require some amount of energy to complete. The total amount of energy that you require on a daily basis is known as your daily caloric need, and it is also referred to as your metabolic rate.
The rate at which your body disposes of calories is referred to as its metabolic rate. The pace at which your body burns the fewest calories overall is known as your basal metabolic rate, and it occurs most frequently when you are sleeping. In other words, the basal metabolic rate is indicative of the number of calories required to sustain the most fundamental activities of your body, such as keeping your lungs flowing, your heart beating, the movement of your gastrointestinal tract, and the maintenance of your temperature.
Consuming water, particularly water that has been cold, has been shown to increase metabolic rate. In a study that was published in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism,” the researchers found that your body generates the energy necessary to heat the water to the temperature of your core. A higher metabolic rate will result in the burning of more calories, which will, of course, help you to lose weight. However, it will also enable you to consume more of the foods that are delicious and beneficial to your body, as your body requires fuel in the form of food, and it will also contribute to the growth of your muscle mass.
The Benefits of Water Consumption on the Digestive System
Consuming water on a daily basis not only enables you to maintain proper hydration but also facilitates digestion in the following ways:
- Consuming water assists the body in breaking down the food you eat, which allows for improved absorption of the nutrients in the meal.
- Constipation can be avoided by drinking plenty of water, which also helps move food through the digestive tract, softens faeces, and prevents hardening of the stools.
- Consuming water aids in the dissolution of lipids as well as soluble fibre.
- Consuming water on a regular basis enables the kidneys to do their functions and filter whatever they need to.
- Consuming water on a regular basis can assist in preventing the accumulation of calcium and other minerals in one’s urine. This inhibits the production of crystals that can lead to kidney stones, which can be quite painful.
What Is the Recommended Amount of Water That You Consume?
The amount of water that you need to consume in order to stay hydrated is determined by a number of factors, such as your height and weight, your level of activity, the climate of the region in which you live, whether or not you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and your overall state of health. However, the minimum amount of water that you need to consume each day is eight glasses of water (certain diseases will require that you drink more water).
Drinking one glass of water first thing in the morning, before each meal, in between meals, and last thing at night is the standard recommendation for maintaining adequate hydration levels. Be sure to monitor the colour of your urine; if it is getting darker than usual, this could be a sign that you are becoming dehydrated.
