Water. Water. Water.
/If you've ever had a facial with me, you've probably heard me talk about drinking water. It's one crucial way to keep your body and skin especially, healthy. I know I'm not the first to tell you this, so I'm going to instead share some tips on drinking water and how it relates to your skin.
Your body is mostly made of water, therefore you need to make sure you are staying hydrated every day not only for your skin, but for your general health. Your skin is your largest organ but it's also the last to get water. So if you don't drink enough, your organs internally will need to absorb and use that water first. This is why it's so important to stay up on drinking water. You have to make sure your skin is getting it as well, in order for it to stay healthy.
How much should you be drinking? While everyone is different, I generally recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces. So if you weight 140 pounds, try to get in at least 70 fl. ounces of water a day.
When should you drink more? If you are pretty active you need to be drinking more than that because you are losing water and electrolytes when sweating. I usually try to follow the rule for drinking 1 ounce for every minute that I'm sweating in addition to my normal water intake for the day. You should also be drinking more water when you're stressed or sick, because your body is focused on healing or keeping you healthy, and your skin gets even less water. If you know your are sick or dealing with a lot of stress, give your body a head start and drink more water.
How quickly should you drink water? It's better for your body and skin to slowly sip water throughout your day than to chug it a few times. If you drink too much at once (more than a cup), it'll go straight through you to your bladder. Some people complain that they don't like to drink a lot of water because then they have to use the bathroom constantly, but I'd bet they are probably chugging their water or drinking it too fast and their body is just excreting it, not actually absorbing it. If your body can't absorb it, it won't get to utilize it! Drinking your water slowly allows your body to absorb it, which means all of your organs will get to utilize it, especially your skin that gets it last! If you're guilty of chugging your water, try switching to a water bottle with a straw to drink it slower.
What temperature should you drink it at? In general it is better to drink warm or hot water because your body doesn't have to expend energy to heat it up to your internal body temperature. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Drinking cold water when you're extremely hot in the summer or you just got done working out, is ok because it can help cool off the body.
Other tips and tricks regarding water consumption:
- Check your lips! If they are constantly dry, this might be a sign that you are dehydrated.
- Drink your hot or room temp water with lemon juice! This is my favorite way to flavor my water and the lemon juice aids with digestion.
- Use apps to help you count. There are so many that will help you keep track of your daily consumption. If you are competitive you might like this because it feels like a game.
- Drink a glass of lemon water before you have your coffee in the morning so start the day off right!
I personally notice a huge difference in my body when I'm drinking a lot of water. Stay hydrated friends! If you have more questions about drinking water, feel free to leave me a comment or message!
Have a beautiful day,
Andrea
