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Water is the most important substance that we consume. It is one of the most vital nutrients on earth. Every system in our bodies depends on this valuable liquid. There are so many benefits to drinking water and its importance is not emphasized enough. You can last a week or so without food, but you can survive only a few days without water.

I have evolved over the years to the point that water is the main source of liquid that I drink. I start my day with a drink of lemon water right out of bed. I follow with drinking water throughout the day, with 3 to 4 bottles while playing pickleball. I end the day with lemon water before I retire to the bedroom for my night of sleep. There are many benefits to drinking water that fuel a healthy existence and make the human body the incredible brilliant living machine that we need to survive!

The benefits of water

Skin

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. Skin protects us from microbes and the elements, helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, and cold.

Water is very beneficial for proper skin care. Drinking a large quantity of water keeps the skin hydrated and helps prevent dry skin. Water gives the skin a radiant, healthy, younger looking complexion, and helps prevent wrinkles. In addition, it allows skin to maintain its elasticity and suppleness.

Another benefit of drinking water in large amounts is in the treatment of skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Proper hydration will help to eliminate sunken eyes and circles under the eyes.

When I started modeling, industry leaders advised me to drink plenty of water starting a few days before shoots. Hydrating comes through in glowing skin under the lights in front of the camera.

Inside Your Body

Water helps to flush toxins out of the body via the excretory system. With inadequate amounts of water flowing through the body, these toxins can build up in the body and escape through skin pores. This contributes to acne. Therefore, by flushing the body internally with water, acne breakouts are less likely to occur due to toxin release through the skin.

Hydrating with water helps maintain the health and integrity of every cell in the body and is necessary for most bodily functions, the musculoskeletal system included.

Water helps to keep your bloodstream liquid enough to flow through blood vessels. An example of this is when you give blood and you're not hydrated, the Phlebotomist will have a hard time filling the vile.

Water is necessary to help in the transportation of nutrients and oxygen to your cells for repair, growth and general functioning which is extremely important when exercising.

Water helps regulate body temperature during exercise through sweating.

Water aids digestion helping you receive the nutrients your body requires from your food.

Water helps operate as a shock absorber inside your spinal cord and interverbal discs making it important in protecting your spine, spinal cord and nerve roots from shock and damage.

Water helps lubricate and cushion your joints.

Water & your appetite

Water is calorie-free, and consuming water before your meals can also slightly increase your metabolism. If you’re drinking sugary, high-calorie beverages, swap those out for water to help curb your appetite and contribute to weight loss. Many studies have been conducted to prove that drinking water can actually suppress your appetite which will assist with weight loss.

Mistaking Thirst for Hunger

When you begin to feel hungry, your first impulse is probably to go and find food. However, eating may not solve your problem if hunger isn’t actually what you’re feeling. Thirst, which is triggered by mild dehydration, is often mistaken for hunger by the brain.

Many times, when you’re feeling hungry for a snack, your brain is actually trying to tell you that you’re dehydrated and you need to drink some water, but the signals can sometimes get all jumbled up. Drink a glass of water before snacking. If you are still hungry after drinking some water, then you were probably actually hungry. However, you will be surprised how often the water will relieve your hunger.

Feel Full Faster

When you sit down to eat a meal, your stomach starts paying attention to everything that’s going into it and how much space is available for more incoming food. When your stomach begins to sense that it is close to being full, it starts sending signals to your brain to decrease your hunger so you will stop eating. This causes the sensation of feeling full after eating, which is our way of knowing we’ve eaten enough to satiate ourselves. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to send that signal to your brain, and during that time it’s easy to keep eating, leading you to overeat and consume more calories than necessary for your body to function. It helps to drink water 30 minutes before each meal.

YOUR JOINTS

I have experienced pain in my knees from the pounding they take from the hard pickleball courts. It doesn't happen often, and I used to just chalk it up to added hours of playing. It wasn't until I was talking with one of my pickleball buddies in between games that he happened to mention the benefits of water relating to joints. He told me how important it was to keep my joints lubricated by keeping hydrated. My friend is retired after a career as a high-level college swim coach, so I respect his advice.

Since I received my friend's advice, I have really put extra focus on staying hydrated with water. When I have felt any pain in my knees, I have noticed that in the time leading up to the pain, I hadn't consumed my normal amount of water and at times consumed more alcohol than I normally do. Drinking alcohol dehydrates your body.

Some internal body information about joints that I came across:

The joints in the human body are an amazing marvel of engineering. They have the ability move through vast ranges of movement as well as consistently absorb and distribute significant loads time and time again. When considering water and your joints, water plays a significant role in your joints having this capacity to move so freely and absorb such loads.

Intercellular water is 60-80% of the makeup of cartilage cells and plays a significant role in the cushion that sits between the joints being so strong and able to absorb the forces constantly exerted on your body. If not, enough water is consumed, dehydration can occur in your joints, which can play a role in joint damage, joint pain and ultimately arthritis.

Synovial fluid is 3 times more slippery than skating on ice

Synovial fluid is a thick, stringy colorless liquid inside your joints and supposedly the most slippery substance known to man.
It exists to reduce friction in joints helping lubricate, cushion and provide nutrition to your joints allowing the bones to freely glide over each other. Water stimulates the production of synovial fluid.

Listen to your body

Be aware of what your body is telling you. If you lack energy, are constantly thirsty, and have dark urine, these are signs that you are not getting enough water. Thirst is the body’s way of signaling a need to increase water intake so pay attention to this warning sign.

When exercising and sweating there is a need to replace the lost water regularly in order to prevent dehydration and heat sickness. The same is true when residing in hot climates. I am experienced in both cases; I reside in southwest Florida where it is hot and humid most of the year. I ride my bike up to 5000 miles a year and I play pickleball most days of the week. I can tell you; I consistently drink water while exercising and while I stay safely hydrated, I still have trouble keeping up with optimal hydration levels. l

It's never too late to start a better life!

I Feel GREAT and So Should You!