Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your body. Besides general hydration, many people do not know the benefits of drinking water and how it affects every aspect of your body. I am here to tell you that drinking 1 liter of water a day can change your life–inside and out.

“1 Liter of water equals 33 ounces of water, which is close to 4.2 cups of water.”

Why is drinking water so important?

Throughout your life, your body is composed of 50-75% of water. Like a plant that depends on water, without it, our bodies cannot function to its full capability. Every major system in your body needs water to function from your colon to your skin. Without a daily intake of water, your body cannot do important things such as efficiently remove toxins from your body and effectively use all the nutrients within your system. While it is okay to have that morning cup of coffee or soda (pop, coke, whatever you call it!), make sure you drink some water behind it. I will share some of my water drinking tips below!

What happens to your body when you are dehydrated?

While everyone’s body reacts differently to dehydration, I believe the analogy of  a cast iron skillet explains it best. A cast iron skillet needs to be treated (I use oil) in order to maintain its efficiency and not rust. If left out in the air with no oil to condition it, rust will begin to form and leave the skillet useless. When you are dehydrated, the systems in your body will not be able to run, will “rust”, and make important systems such as your digestive system–useless.

What Happens To Your Body When You Drink A Liter A Day?

There are many benefits of drinking water:

• Boosts metabolism
• Aids in absorbing nutrients
• Purifies the colon
• Clears skin
• Cushions joints
• Aids in weight loss
• Helps fatigue
• And more…!

I don’t like drinking JUST water. Is there any other way?

The short answer–yes. There are other ways to get your liter a day without drinking just plain water.  If you would like special benefits in addition to water, adding certain things can aid in treating other existing problems (such as headaches, constipation, and joint pain). I have listed some options below that will help add some interest to your water and help you get that liter a day.

• Add Lemon To Your Water
  • While also adding a little bit of flavor, lemon water has its own benefits such as helping fight inflammation, freshening breath and boosting your immune system. This can easily be accomplished by adding a slice of lemon to your water.
• Add Fruit To Your Water
  • If you want to add the taste of fresh berries to your drink, try infusing fruit in your water. This can be as simple as letting fruit steep in a pitcher of water in the fridge for 3-4 hours or 1-2 hours at room temperature. You then pour your water and enjoy. While I have heard of people freezing fruit and inserting it in water as fruit, flavored ice cubes, I have personally never done this.
• Fresh Herbs
  • Adding herbs to your water can be with fruit or by the herbs themselves. When I have a headache, making some nice rosemary water helps me relax, and also relieves my headache. Adding herbs to water has been known to also help with nausea and promote digestion.

Any Tips For Drinking More Water?

1. Start with a water bottle with measurements on the side. I use my Hydrator Bottle from WelleCo which also has a tracker on the top to help me remember how many bottles I have consumed in a day. If you don’t have a tracker. Simply tallying how many times you refill your water bottle is simple. You can keep track on a posted note, or even download a free app that helps you track your daily water intake (there are many!)
2. Have a work and home water bottle. Carrying a water bottle back and forth can be tiring. You may lose your water bottle or leave it in the car and not have the will power to go and get it. This way, you have no excuse for not filling up your water bottle and have a reliable one in both places (just remember to take your work water bottle home on the weekends to wash it!)
3. Drink filtered water. Let’s face it, depending on where you are, the taste of water changes. One way to solve this problem if you are every sensitive to the taste of water (My mom and sister are very sensitive to the taste of water in different areas) buy a water bottle with a filter. It will filter out any initial minerals within the water that might cause you to react and not like the taste of the water.
4. Start slow and be patient. When you first start drinking a liter a day, you will have to use the restroom a lot. It will start to get annoying so you may cut down on your consumption–don’t! Instead, start with 1/2 a liter a day and work your way up. Your body will start to adjust to the increase of water and will not have you constantly running to the bathroom!

Has drinking water changed your life? Do you have any recipes you use to drink water? Please leave a comment below!

-NYL