When one speaks of water and diet, the assumption is generally that “diet†means “eating less in order to lose weight.†Yes, drinking water is a good way to lose weight, because when you drink water before a meal it fills you up, which makes you eat less, but that is not what we are going to discuss here per se.
What I really want to discuss in this article is what effect drinking water has on your body as a whole and on your metabolism.
Water Boosts Your Metabolism
What exactly is metabolism? Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that take place in your body and which are necessary for life. Each of these processes need energy to some degree. When you add together all those energy demand, you get what is known as your daily caloric need or metabolic rate.
Your metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories. Your basal metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns the least calories, generally when you are asleep. In other words, the basal metabolic rate indicates the amount of calories needed to maintain your body’s most basic functions, such as keeping your lungs pumping, your heart beating, your gastrointestinal tract moving, and your temperature stabilised.
Drinking water boosts your metabolism, especially drinking chilled water. According to a study published in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism,” your body produces energy to heat the water to your core temperature. A higher metabolic rate will burn more calories, which of course will help you to lose weight, but it will also allow you to eat more of the food that is tasty and good for your body, as it needs food to act as fuel, and it also helps to build muscle mass.
Digestive Health Benefits of Drinking Water
Drinking water regularly does not only help you to stay hydrated, but also assists in the digestive process:
- Drinking water helps the body break down the food you eat so that the nutrients can be better absorbed.
- Drinking water helps the digestive tract to move the food along and softens your stool, preventing constipation.
- Drinking water helps dissolve fats and soluble fibre
- Drinking water helps the kidneys to function properly and filter everything they need to
- Drinking water helps to prevent the build-up of calcium and other minerals in your urine. This prevents the formation of crystals that make up painful kidney stones
How Much Water Should You Drink?
The amount of water that you need to drink to remain hydrated depends on a number of factors, including your size and weight, activity level, the geographic area in which you live, whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding or not, and your general state of health (certain diseases will require that you drink more water).
The rule of thumb to staying hydrated is drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, before each meal, between meals and last thing at night. Keep a check on your urine – if it is darker than normal you may be getting dehydrated.
Source:
Living-Water sells water dispensers in London and rent water coolers. Get bottled water coolers and mains fed water coolers for your home or office.
