On the fourth day of fitness my trainer said to me....drink up!

On the fourth day of fitness my trainer said to me…drink up!

You don’t need to be a nutritionist to know that water is good for you but so many of us don’t drink enough – especially over this Christmas period. I don’t know about you but I’m already feeling like I need a health kick and that’s just after a couple of days of Christmas eating.  After a few end of term drinks and a little bit of party food, I’m struggling with fatigue and a general feeling of yuckiness!

This is no surprise as the harmful effects of dehydration include tiredness along with migraines, muscle cramps, irregular blood pressure, kidney problems and dry skin.

Some researchers  recommend 8 glasses of water a day to keep us in tip top condition and this is a great guide but this will all vary depending on different lifestyles; how much exercise you do and what foods you’re consuming. The human body needs water to stay healthy as nearly every cell in our body needs water to function well.

The health benefits of drinking enough water are:

• Weight loss – A study showed people who drank two 8.5oz glasses of water before each meal lost on average 4.5lbs in 12 weeks! (Journal of Obesity)
•   Natural cure for headaches
• Younger looking skin
• You think better!– brain is mostly made up of water so being hydrated helps more productivity at work
• Better exercise
• Helps digestion – always helpful with the little extras that are consumed over the next few weeks!
• Keeps you well, less likely to get poorly
• Flushes out toxins- which helps combat tiredness

So drink up this Christmas….water that is!