The Many Ways Water Keeps Your Body Healthy, Part 2

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Read Part 1 here (Link to Part 1)

If you can’t commit to drinking 8 glasses of water a day, that’s alright. Hydration by way of water-rich fruits contributes to attaining fluid balance in your body. Ingesting water aside, interacting with water, being near it and the warmth it provides can uplift your spirit. We hope that these encourage you to make water a big part of your daily life.

A warm bath makes you feel less lonely

Have you ever wondered why you feel so much better after soaking in a warm bath? Research has found out that the reason why we find comfort in a warm bath when you’re lonely is because it substitutes for the physical interaction and emotional connection. The warmth triggers the release of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for putting you at ease and connected. It’s similar to the rise of temperature when you’re physically close with someone, an event that also triggers oxytocin.

Less intense hangovers

Remember dehydration-triggered headaches? That’s similar to what happens during a hangover. On a night out, drink a glass of water for every glass of alcohol. It’ll lessen the pain of a hangover when you wake up the next day. You’ll be visiting the bathroom more often, but it’ll pay off in the end.

Think more clearly

Proper hydration can go as far as affecting your brain – not just dehydration-triggered headaches, but the shrinking of brain tissue too. When you’re dehydrated you brain has to work twice as hard to perform at its best. That was observed in a study involving students who were to take exams – those who bought water with them got better results than those who didn’t.

It’s a natural cleanser

Water constitutes the biggest part by volume in any natural cleaning material – whether for your home, clothes, dishes, body or your face. They pack cleansing power without the toxicity. Better for your health, your pets and the environment!

Gargle – it keeps you healthy

In a study conducted during the cold and flu season involving  400 participants, it was found that those who gargled with water have fewer chances to get their upper respiratory tract infected and their symptoms were mild during instances that they did.

Water-rich fruits can hydrate you too

Fruits like cucumber, watermelon, strawberries and vegetables like cucumbers, lettuce and celery have the most water content. These are a great way of replenishing bodily fluids in an appetizing way. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation is for adults to eat 2 cups of fruits and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day.

Living near bodies of water is good for your wellbeing

Some people find their health improving during a stay near the coast. It might be the relaxing sound of the water. Ambient sounds are the trend these days with gently pouring rain, beach waves and the bubble of fountains among the most popular options. For some people it’s easier to focus on work with these sounds in the background. Whether that or the view, the smell of the sea or the sun, spending time near water will do you some good.

Swimming is good for your mind and body

In a study conducted over 8 months, swimming was found to improve a person’s physical and mental health. It’s a very physical activity impacts free cardio that burns a lot of calories. Plus, there’s the feeling of solace in the pool when the rest of the world recedes in the silence.

Best Time to Start Chiropractic Care

The Many Ways Water Keeps Your Body Healthy, Part 1

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Water is around us, within us, and in a way, we too are water. The human body is ⅔ water. Its presence and absence influences 100% of the processes in our body. Here 7 ways why you should bring a bottle (a reusable one!) of water with you wherever you go.

Help you lose weight

It’s not that it does something covert like inducing hormones in your body that water is so good at helping you lose weight. It simply makes you feel fuller thus curbing your appetite, even more so if you drink water before meals, which in a study was found out that those who drank water before eating lost weight faster than those who didn’t. And sometimes, you’re probably dehydrated and mistook that feeling for hunger. The next time you need a bit of boos, drink some water.

Helps you exercise during warm weather

Working out in the heat is usually fine, but a very important precaution should be taken: before getting out there, make sure to hydrate yourself. You’re losing that water to sweat so always make sure to replace those lost fluids. 

Keeps your digestive tract moving

Eating foods with lots of fat and fiber requires a lot of water to break down. Your trips to the bathroom will get easier and faster if you’re not constipated, and instead of looking for a quick and dirty solution, treat the cause: just drink more water. If you’re dehydrated, you’re pushing more stress on your kidneys and liver when it these waste products could easily pass through the urinary system with enough water.

You might avoid bladder cancer

Bladder cancer might be uncommon, but it exists. It is preventable, through – increased fluid intake – that fluid being water – reduces the risk of contracting it. Again, it’s not doing anything extraordinary – drinking water frequently, and resulting in frequent urination prevents the buildup of carcinogens. Hydration may also reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer. 

Hydration prevents headaches

Newsflash: constant headaches are a sign that you’re probably dehydrated. It’s also a migraine trigger. Headaches caused by dehydration can quickly be cured by drinking 2 cups of water and you’ll feel relief within 30 minutes. You’ll have to do more if it occurs frequently: drink 2 to 4 cups within 1 to 2 hours for relief.

It keeps your kidneys healthy

These bean-shaped organs do a lot to regulate your body’s waste, blood pressure and keep your bodily fluids, so give them a lot of love! Again, it doesn’t take much. Just remember to drink water as much as you can, avoid hard drinks and don’t hold your pee!

It gets you energized

Another sign of dehydration is fatigue and lethargy. Just like dehydration-triggered headaches, the only cure is to drink water. If you’re wondering why caffeine, tea or energy drinks don’t work for you, it’s probably because you just need water. 

Your joints and cartilages are lubricated

Water helps keep bodily connections like joints and cartilages are lubricated, hydrated and supple. Cartilage, the material that coats the edges of the bones and prevents them from banging against each other, is 85% water.

The Unexpected, Non-fitness related benefits of working out

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You’ve probably worn your ears off listening to the predictable drone of the benefits of exercise. Yes you’ll get healthier, but is that enough to motivate you to run more miles on the treadmill? If the thought of sweating it out for a slimmer waist or leaner muscles doesn’t cut it anymore, maybe you haven’t heard of the non-fitness related benefits of working out?

Gain actual work-life balance

Your job and personal life gets a boost from the aptly-named industry journal Human Resource Management found out workers who found time to exercise during the work week found more work-life balance more than others. It’s all thanks to the boost of endorphins during exercise – they’re less stressed about facing their work life.

It makes you better at sex

If you’re still procrastinating on hitting the gym using your busy schedule as an excuse, then maybe knowing how it’ll spice up your sex life will make you think twice. Pumping iron, doing squats and planks improves your performance in bed and it’s not all about your physical form. Experts and studies say that regular physical exercise heightens your arousal, even if you haven’t had any in a while. 

You can get better pay

Remember how you’re required to undergo a full physical exam before you’re hired? The HR managers want to know if you’re healthy enough to hire, and once you’re in there’s a chance that you’ll be paid much more than those you aren’t. In a study conducted by the Journal of Labor Research they discovered that employees who regularly  exercise made 9% more than those who didn’t. 

Reduce your risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases

Warding off diseases is a no-brainer benefit that you get from exercise. The most common illnesses you’ve heard of – breast cancer, heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, hypertension, diabetes – those are preventable by hitting the gym.  Physical activity seems to be the best and most natural way to stay away from getting those illnesses, plus they cost less.

Boost your brain power

Do you know why people who sit in front of computers for long hours are advised to move around every once in a while? An article in Neurology suggests that high levels of cardio activity when you’re 18 to 30 years old improves your brain power. Blood is pumped faster in your body during exercise, carrying with it oxygen, feeding your brain so it’s able to think better.

Ward off wrinkles

If you’ve spent a fortune on face creams that don’t work, maybe it’s time to try another approach to look younger. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine suggested that frequent exercise for people in their 40s had skin similar to people in their 20s and 30s.

You’re happier

Elle Woods said it best: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t”.

The Mental Health Benefits You Can Get From Exercise

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When you look in the mirror after an intense workout session, you’ll see how your sweat gave you a rockin’ bod. You should know that you’re not seeing everything in the mirror. Up in your head, your mental space is so much better through exercise – that’s scientifically proven too.

Get a boost of endorphins

A punishing 5 mile run on the treadmill can squeeze the life out of you, and while you’ve lost a few hundred calories you’re gaining something too. During the course of exercise, you’re releasing endorphins that create the feeling of happiness and euphoria. Doctors suggest that their patients suffering from depression or anxiety take up a sport hit the gym or spare a few minutes of their day for physical activity, which studies suggest are just as effective as antidepressant pills to treat depression. It doesn’t mean completely ditching your meds, it complements to your existing treatment. 

Maintain mental stimulation

A fact that comes with aging is that as we grow older, our mental capacity is decreased. It doesn’t help that we’re susceptible degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s kills off memory and eventually, one’s ability to live and function independently. Exercising may not cure Alzheimer’s, it can put off the mental decline that begins once you hit 45. Working out when you’re 25-45 boosts the chemicals that support and prevent the degeneration of the hippocampus, the center of the brain’s memory and learning.

Improve your memory

It sounds weird, but getting sweaty helps improve your memory. Perspiration actually increases the production of cells responsible for memory and learning found in the hippocampus. Let your kid play during recess time – research actually found a link between the level of physical fitness with brain development. And it’s not just for the kids. You’re more likely to improve and retain vocabulary if you’re running sprints.

Curb your addiction

The feeling of pleasure washes over you during the release of dopamine, the hormone responsible for making you feel good- whether from sex, drugs, alcohol, food or exercise. Some people enjoy it too much they get addicted and end up getting dependent on a pleasure boost. While dopamine is released during exercise, it can help curb it too. There’s been a study conducted on alcoholics which found out that intense, short sessions of exercise are a good distraction from cravings. 

Unleash your creativity

Exercising comes in various forms, and much of these like sports get you to interact with people. Even if you’re at a gym you’re rarely exercising alone. Which is good for your mental health. Being better than your workout buddy – running more laps, having faster times  – the competition keeps you motivated. 

Enjoy the fun of the outdoors

When the stress of work and home life gets too much, sometimes all you need is a breath of fresh air and a change in scenery. Let the scenery distract your thoughts and soak up the sun –  the Vitamin D actually lessens your likelihood of developing depressive symptoms.