Water, Water, Everywhere

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This lovely graphic has been circulating for awhile on Pinterest and Tumblr, and I’d like to tell you that it’s all true, and more! This winter, I’ve gotten into the habit of drinking a ton of water and herbal teas, and I’ve definitely seen the benefits.
   There are a thousand and one reasons to keep yourself hydrated. Here are a few that I’ve noticed in the past few months:

• If I get dizzy or my vision blacks out for a moment after standing up, I know I need to drink more water. I did a few test scenarios of this during my yoga classes last semester, and I found that when I drank a lot of water before class, this didn’t happen.
• Winter is much less harsh to my hands and lips if I’m properly hydrated. When my hands start getting dry and I can’t stop licking my lips, I do reach for the moisturizers, but I also down another glass of water.
• Hydration reduces the chance of split ends (which we could all do without!).
• Water helps keep a hungry stomach at bay. I can’t tell you how often I find myself starving in the middle of class. If I have a bottle of water, I can at least stop my stomach from grumbling embarrassingly. 
• Water also helps keep you from eating too much. It takes time for food to settle in your stomach for you to stop feeling hungry, so if you eat too quickly you can easily eat too much. Sipping water in between bites is a healthy way to slow down the eating process and, of course, keep yourself hydrated.
• Water stops a hangover dead in its tracks. Alcohol dehydrates the body, so if you make sure to drink lots of water with all of the booze, you can wake up the next morning without the headache.
• Just plain old headaches can be a side-effect of dehydration as well, so drink up!

I know no one needs to be convinced water is good for them, I’m just not sure they realize how beneficial it really is. There are many things our bodies can do naturally, without expensive products or crazy fad diets, but they can’t do it without the necessary fuel.