Fished out a magazine feature from 5 years ago. Incredible how all of the pointers are just as valid and relevant today. The upside of prescribing time tested over trendy!
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Without a doubt, water is one of the most underestimated and undervalued nutrients. It is literally one of the easiest things you could do to get healthier and yet, here we are perceiving it as though it were some huge chore. In this article, I have made a compilation of some lame excuses I hear for not drinking water. They certainly don’t warrant any solutions but just for fun, I have added those in too.
Lame excuse #1: I don’t like the taste of it
Solution/Clarification/Bubble burst: Water doesn’t have a taste really. And if you dislike it, then add some lemon or watermelon pieces or a sweet lime to it to give it a naturally sweet taste
Lame excuse #2: I am too lazy to go pee all the time
Solution/Clarification/Bubble burst:: It will provide that much needed stretch break from sitting on your desk all day and make you feel fresher and nicer. I know you’re innately lazy (we all are), but you need to work past the laziness. Isn’t that the whole point?
Lame excuse #3: I don’t have the time
Solution/Clarification/Bubble burst: This is a lie. What you actually mean is that this isn’t high up enough on your priority list. What’s it going to take for that to change? Constant muscle cramps, terrible looking skin, difficult bowel movements and a disease or two? We certainly hope not
Lame excuse #4: I am constantly on the go so I forget
Solution/Clarification/Bubble burst: Invest in a nice water bottle. Carry it with you and keep sipping constantly
Lame excuse #5: But I don’t even feel that thirsty…
Solution/Clarification/Bubble burst: You need to wait for a hunger signal to eat. You do not have to wait for a thirst signal to drink water. During winters, they are even harder to come by so instead, just drink water when you can
Now that you’ve run out of excuses, below are some reasons for why you should be drinking lots and lots of water:
1. It keeps you slim (Yes, your favourite reason)
Often times, we confuse hunger signals and thirst signals. What this means is that you might in fact just be thirsty when you think you’re hungry.
Excerpt of a conversation I repeatedly have with most of my clients:
Client: It was so bizarre. I was really hungry and then I had a glass of water and my hunger magically vanished
Me: Was this your first glass of water for that day?
Client: Yes
You catch my drift here?
2. Water has anti-ageing benefits (Your second favourite reason)
One of the benefits of drinking water is softer, more moist looking skin. Dehydrated skin can be dry and flaky. Dry skin isn’t as resilient and is thus more prone to wrinkling. All those expensive anti-wrinkle creams have chemicals that provide moisture to the skin. You have a low-cost, easy solution at hand. Why don't we just use that?
3. Water helps keep our gut healthy
Adequate water keeps things moving along our gastrointestinal (GI) tract and prevents constipation. When you are dehydrated, the colon is compelled to pull water from the stools to maintain hydration — and the result is constipation and dry, hard stools. Yes, eu but someone has to talk about it!
4. Water helps our body’s immune system
The immune system is what protects the human body from diseases of all kinds. The immune system cannot work properly if the body isn’t adequately hydrated. The skin, the kidneys, and the circulatory system are all important to the body’s immunity and all of them rely on plenty of fresh, clean water to be able to do the work they are meant to do.
5. Other things that happen if you don’t drink enough water
- Water retention/bloating - Your body holds onto water because it isn’t getting enough. This makes your face look puffy and your fingers swollen
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Reduced alertness and energy
- Mood swings
We have at hand a simple solution to counter all these troubles!
Below are some simple strategies to increase your daily water consumption:
- Keep refilling your coffee cup with water all through the morning
- Invest in a nice looking glass bottle which you can keep on your desk/within sight to motivate you to keep drinking
- There are several Apps in the digital world which could help you track your water intake
- As previously mentioned, purchase a water bottle and carry it around with you everywhere—sip constantly from it
- Keep reminders on your phone and calendar
Most importantly, find strategies that work for you and stick to them. Find a way to track and monitor the positive shifts you experience after upping your fluid consumption. Once you feel the changes yourself, you will see the worthiness in constantly sipping on this neutral, life-giving goodness!
Wishing you tons of health and hydration,
Tehzeeb
