By And why drinking water is so important for your health
I can guarantee most people aren’t drinking enough water. In my previous job, I worked closely with a woman who had a 500ml bottle of water on her desk. About 80% of the time it would become half-empty by clock off time. I didn’t want to sound like a typical nagging mum (although I am), but I had to ask her how many of those bottles she drank a day — to which she replied, “Um, just the one.” The question helped her realise that, in fact, that particular day she had only drunk half that bottle. “I was wondering why I had a headache today.” You can bet your bottom dollar that the headache resulted from only 250ml of water the WHOLE day! This is shocking, but it may be the average amount of water most people drink every single day. Well, let me tell you, this is not enough for you or a baby! Water is a bit tasteless and dull in comparison to other flavoursome alternatives. So I’ll give you that strike as an excuse — but, as dull as water can be, our bodies need enough of the stuff to keep working and functioning to its full capacity. Your body, brain and energy levels are more than likely struggling with small tasks every day — due to this one simple thing you can turn around instantly. So here are some of the most significant benefits of drinking lots of water every single day.
One: Increases your capacity for exercise
The brain can easily experience impaired functioning from a lack of hydration. This can become exaggerated if you exercise and lose fluid through sweat. Maybe you’ve experienced headaches or impairment of effort during your workout session. Athletes seem to lose more water (due to exercising for longer timeframes) but have specific hydration strategies to keep their training session efforts high. Although we don’t have to resort to drastic hydration methods, we need to drink more water before and after our sessions. Did you know that drinking during your workout is not enough? The best way to become more hydrated for your workout sessions is to drink water before training. Higher than average hydration levels cater to any fluid loss from exercise or extreme temperatures. It’s like preparing your body in advance. Sipping water during your workout is essential — but make sure you top up beforehand so you are confident that your training will be super productive and high intensity (as it should be.)
Two: Cure most of your headaches
Whenever my daughter complains of a headache, the first question I ask her is if she’s had enough water. I know the answer will be no, about 98% of the time. Headaches are one of the most common symptoms of dehydration — and it can become so intense that nausea may result. This is my first telltale sign of dehydration — and I drink up to four litres of water per day — no matter what. Making sure you drink enough water can be a preventative solution for anyone who suffers from headaches regularly — although several different things may cause it. The simplest thing you can do is to drink enough water and eliminate dehydration first and foremost.
Three: Helps you do number two’s
There is nothing worse than constipation — especially when it has an impact on your quality of life. It may also be exceedingly difficult to go to the bathroom when you don’t drink enough water. Constipation can be a problem for both young and older people. Although drinking more water is an excellent way of helping stools pass through, I recommend warm water in the morning, containing ginger and a slice of lemon (without the skin). The warm water helps to loosen poo and make it a lot easier to pass through. It’s also great for digesting food throughout the day. Studies have also pointed out that mineral water can be beneficial (although I’ve not personally tried this one). For example, mineral water makes me a lot gassier and decreases the likelihood of going to the bathroom. But when it comes to bringing on poo, you have to try a few different things to get things going (that was a deliberate pun). Key takeaway: The bottom line is, we all should be drinking about 39ml per kg of body weight. This calculation probably doesn’t take exercise and hot temperatures into consideration. So take it with a grain of salt. I prefer to drink about 3–4 litres of water a day. Anything less, the headaches and muscle cramps start coming on. Of course, I have to consider the amount I sweat during a workout too. If you have exercised for many years, you probably know how much water your body needs. However, for people that don’t exercise a lot, listen to your body and keep increasing the amount of water you drink every single day. I’ve not gone by the usual water consumption statistics, as I prefer to drink more than this. Just keep sipping during the day, and if you want to lose a bit of body fat, drink 2–3 glasses before you eat. This will diminish your appetite and help stop you from eating more than you need. It’s a great way to keep up your hydration and lose a few KG simultaneously! Now the million-dollar question is — how much water do you drink every day? Comment and share your journey as I’d love to hear from you. 
Product recommendations
Keep tabs on your water intake (this is my home office/shopping trip choice).
A take with you alternative that’s great hot or cold
Get this bottle now
For those that are serious about keeping tabs on the amount of water, they drink (this is my portable away from home for hours choice). Yes, this is a tank, but I don’t recommend drinking tap water. Filtered water all the way for me!Get this bottle now
P.S. These product ideas are just optional. Kmart and Target have a great range that’s a lot more price-conscious.