After analysing the results of all the people who took my Biological Age Test, it was surprising that one of the main factors in speeding up the ageing process was in fact dehydration. Water is the best and cheapest anti-ageing skin tonic available. This should make you ask yourself, “Am I drinking enough water?”
Fatigue, confusion, memory loss, dizziness, dry and wrinkled skin, brittle hair and nails, cold fingers and toes, constipation, eczema, headaches, urinary tract infections, muscle tension pains and cramps—these are all symptoms of dehydration. If you suffer from any of these ailments, you may be neglecting the power of water.
Now let’s actually talk about water. Your body is made up of around 70%-75% water. Water is involved in every bodily function, and if you lack it then your body will naturally try to get moisture from any liquid source in your system. Your body will automatically tap your blood, cell fluid, intra cellular fluid, and even your stools and urine. When you are literally draining yourself, you are impacting your physical and mental health.
Not drinking water directly effects ageing. In fact, here are seven very good reasons to boost your water intake and learn to love its youthful properties.
1. HEALTHY DIGESTION = BETTER KISSER
If you are having problems with your digestion and putting a bit too much time and effort on the toilet, you could probably use a glass or two of pure water. The body is very wise – it knows that the vital organs need to have access to more essential nutrients than the rest of your body. It’s for survival. If you are suffering from dehydration, your body will take what’s available. This is where constipation comes into play. Water depleted stools are hard to get out of the system – and they can be there for days! As a result, your stomach begins to feel bloated with the overgrowth of fermenting bacteria and yeast. Dehydration also plays a factor in Leaky Gut Syndrome, which involves increased toxin overload in the liver. This condition can result in an unpleasant odor that excretes from all the openings of the body, including your mouth. Dehydration can directly impact the pleasure of kissing.
2. STAY SHARP
If you prefer being upbeat, focused, and want take pride in a sharp mind that remembers your friends’ names and phone numbers (not to mention important dates relating to your spouse and kids), you need to drink water. If you’re feeling confused and forgetful, drink more water before going to see the doctor who may just simply diagnose you with acute dementia. You’re probably not sick, just thirsty.
3. LOVE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR
When you see your face in the mirror every morning, you might love what you see. That’s great; keep up whatever you are doing. But if you struggle with a puffy face, and sunken eyes with hanging eyelids that are surrounded by dark circles, you are being warned that your kidneys are in distress. You are not drinking enough water. The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins, salts, and ingested water from the bloodstream. If the body is dehydrated, then the kidneys can’t function properly. It’s not a good idea to store toxins in the body, and you can see the signs of them in your face. Maybe you just had a fun night out with a bit too much alcohol. Maybe you ate too many salty snacks—or maybe you’ve been eating a bit too much sodium loaded take out. Whatever the reason may be, the result is written all over your face.
4. YOUTHFUL SKIN
Dry and wrinkled skin occurs from two major reasons – water retention and lack of subcutaneous fat. If you want to boost your natural fillers and look more youthful with vital and beautifully glowing skin do 3 things:
- Splash ice cold water in your face multiple times every morning
- Air dry or just pat your skin dry
- Drink a big glass of chilled water on an empty stomach
Make sure that you drink more than 2 Liters of water during the day, and eat fat! By fat I mean pure and unprocessed plant oils from foods like organic flax seeds, butter from grass fed sources, and organic coconut oil – everyday! Fat binds the water to the dermis skin layer and functions as a natural filler. You don’t ever need botox! The fat (mainly from the butter) will store in the fat layer that prevents that hollow look that appears with age. With the right diet you can naturally slow down your ageing process.
5. LOWER YOUR BODY FAT
This will probably surprise you, but being dehydrated can make you overweight! As I mentioned earlier, the body will make sure to use all other fluids available when it’s dehydrated. By pulling the water out of the bloodstream, excess glucose will remain until it reaches the liver where it is supposed to be stored as glycogen for later use. However, the lack of water will slow this process down, and the glucose becomes stored as fat instead. This is normally not an issue, as fat gets converted into energy, but in this case the body will keep the fat as converting fat to energy requires (you guessed it), water! The process here is hindered during dehydration as the body continues to hunt for water, targeting water from inside cells, including the fat cells. Less water in fat cells means the fat to energy conversion is compromised. This increases body fat. If you are working on decreasing body fat through eating smart foods and exercise, you shouldn’t forget to drink plenty of water. (http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14071/10-food-rules-for-a-leaner-body-glowing-skin.html)
6. CURB YOUR APPETITE AND KEEP YOUR NUTRIENTS
Do you constantly feel hungry? Do you have cravings for sugar and wheat? Drink a glass of water. Pure water naturally acts as an appetite suppressant. When feeling hungry at times you aren’t supposed to, I suggest you drink a big glass of water. It will calm you down. If you need some taste, you can add a bit of lemon juice, or a splash of acai or pomegranate juice (without any added sugar!). Drinking pure water is a major way we provide our body with fluid. We also get it from our foods, especially vegetables and greens, as well as any other fluids we may drink. But nothing is better than pure water. Beverages like tea, herbal tea, coffee, and sodas are all rich in caffeine. Caffeinated drinks are in fact diuretic, forcing out stored water along with certain essential nutrients and minerals.
7. HELP YOUR BODY DO ITS JOB
There’s a reason why they call water the source of life, our blood consists of 90% water. The bloodstream provides your cells and organs with oxygen and nutrients, and takes away any waste products. As you can see, blood is essential and important. As I said before, the body will tap the water from cells and blood if needed to help counter dehydration. The blood will become thicker, increasing the risk for clotting, and making it harder to pump it through the system. This can have a serious impact on blood pressure and heart disease. Lack of water is also linked to headaches, pain and tension in muscles and joints. It even causes stomachaches and heartburn. Everything is connected throughout the body, and it’s important not to neglect one of its fundamental tools.
HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED?
In general, you need about 2 Liters (65oz) of pure water a day. You might need more if you live in a warm or dry climate, as well as if you exercise often or practice “Bikram” or hot yoga. You will also need more water if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Plus, take into account the diuretic effects of coffee, tea, alcohol, and sodas, as well as salty foods.
WATER TIP:
Since I live in Iceland, I have been very privileged with access to the purest water in the whole world, straight from my tap. When living in New York City, I still didn’t stray from drinking tap water, but I did fill my bottles with charcoal filters to help filter out any bad chemicals. If you live in an area where there may be chemicals in the water, I suggest you do the same.
I found Wellness Mama quite helpful, Katie Well has done plenty of great research on how to use filters if you would prefer to use something beyond traditional charcoal filters.
