Most people know that drinking plenty of water is important, but do you know WHY it’s important? First and foremost, cTogether, these fluids help with digestion, creation of saliva, absorption and transportation of nutrients, they even help regulate your body temperature. The balance is regulated by a small part in your brain called the pituitary gland. When you need more water, the brain triggers you to be thirsty in order to keep this balance. The pituitary gland and the kidneys work closely together to tell your body how much liquid it needs to hold on to and how much to get rid of. This can work against you quickly because if you don’t have enough fluids in your body and the kidney holds on to what little you have in your body, the kidneys are unable to excrete the toxins in your body.

 

Someone may have told you that drinking more water can help you lose weight. This could be true, sort of. If you are someone who drinks sugary drinks, replacing them with water instead can cut out unnecessary calories and with other good choices can lead to weight loss.

Water will also help your digestive system. If the fluid balance is off, your large intestine will pull water out of your stool to keep you hydrated. This in turn can lead to constipation. Increasing your water intake can also help your skin to look and feel better. When you are dehydrated the body pulls water from everywhere it can, including the skin. This can make your skin appear to have wrinkles and fine lines.

I would also not be doing my due diligence if I didn’t tell you that increasing water intake can help with joint pain. Joints are lined with cartilage which contains about 80% water, and in your spine, the discs between each vertebrae also contain a good amount of water. The cartilage in your joints and the discs in your spine are designed to absorb impact from all of your daily activities and with a decrease in water intake, they are not able to do their job correctly and this could cause an increase in pain you experience. This is why all of our providers always encourage you to drink water after your treatments in the office!

Here are a few tips to help you increase your water intake:

  • Drink water with every snack or meal

  • Eat more fruits and vegetables, they have a high water content and about 20% of your intake comes from foods

  • Keep a bottle of water with you at work, in your car or in whatever bag you carry