If you don’t stay hydrated, your physical performance can suffer.
It’s a new year and we are all busy making resolutions. One of the best new year’s resolutions is ensuring you stay healthy throughout the year and as a new study recommends, one of the best ways to stay healthier and live longer without having to worry about lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and even obesity is ensuring you are well hydrated.
The study, which was done by The National Institute of Health(NIH) in the journal of biomedicine, suggests that staying well hydrated may prolong a disease-free life and slow down aging. The agency claims that hydration can also aid in lubricating and cushioning joints, safeguarding your spinal cord and other delicate body tissues, and eliminating waste.
So how much water should you drink every day? There is no set amount of water that everyone should consume but based on the research recommendations an average of 12 – 16 cups should be adequate to sustain you throughout the day.
How to stay hydrated throughout the day:
1. Prioritize hydrating in the mornings
Purpose to drink a glass or two of water first thing in the morning. This is an effective way to kickstart your metabolism and ensure that you flash out toxins from your stomach and regulate the lymphatic system which helps develop our immune system and keep diseases at a bay
2. Pair your meals with water
Not only does this help in digestion but it is also great if you are trying to shed a few pounds. Drinking water apparently helps with dieting because it may suppress hunger or better yet fill one’s tummy hence making them eat less.
3. Eat your water through fruits
Fruits and veggies are a great way to keep you hydrated by adding some flavor to the water! You should consider adding more watermelons, cantaloupe, strawberries, lettuce, cucumber, spinach, and even celery to your regular diet. You might also want to add some milk in there in case you love dairy products.