Ever since middle school I’ve been trying to drink more water. I felt inspired by all the benefits of water being told to me by the “natural cure” people in my life. To me, this felt like the way to fix to my issues with acne and constipation.
I mean, my mom always drank a decent amount of water and she had great skin – why not me?
But, no matter how much I tried, I could never actually drink more than a glass or so a day. This meant that my issues with acne and constipation followed me well into college.
So, I made more and more of an effort as the years of pimples and a hard belly persisted. I incorporated water bottles to take with me to classes. And, I bought reusable plastic cups for around the house (you can’t spill when you’re always doing homework on a computer).
Over the years I have gradually worked up to drinking the amount of water I should every day.
What “enough” is when it comes to water seems debatable even amongst doctors and nutritionists alike. From my research it seems that some say eight 8-ounce glasses a day, some say a specific amount for women verses men, some like to keep it simple and say half your body weight in ounces.
I’m gleaning that it depends on the person’s individual needs. For me, it seems to be somewhere between 64-100 ounces a day (depending on the day and my fiber intake). Life still gets in the way and I don’t always make it to my goal, but more often than not, my water intake is somewhere in that range.
Now that I’m drinking more water, I have noticed a lot of great benefits to my life (and health). Check out the reasons you will always catch me drinking water and coffee on a daily basis:
Because coffee is the only magical thing about mornings
I’ve considered giving up coffee before. I mean, a case could be made that it might help with my issues with anxiety and insomnia. But, frankly, I’d rather be happy and be able to dump out in the morning (yep, get ready for the poop benefits of this liquid lifestyle) than be all “calm” and “well rested”.
Not only do I NOT feel capable of giving up coffee, but why would I when there are so many health benefits? I mean, let’s be honest: coffee helps you poop, which is only beneficial to life (when it happens when you want it to at least).
Plus, according to the Mayo Clinic, coffee has several preventative health benefits including preventing issues in your liver (including cancer), preventing type-2 diabetes, and preventing Parkinson’s disease.
The Mayo Clinic also says there is evidence to suggest that coffee improves cognitive function and prevents depression. And, let’s get real, it’s probably not bad for your colon health to be more “regular”.
I don’t see any reason to ever give coffee up! It’s the bean life for me, y’all *wink, wink*.
Because they’re both great for digestion
Via Giphy
We all know a good cup of strong coffee can be just the kick in the ass (pun intended) we need to be able to “go” in the morning. But water is VITAL to keeping your digestive system on track.
According to the Mayo Clinic, water not only aids in softening stool overall, but drinking water after a meal aids in digesting that meal. To be honest, this is the #1 reason I only drink coffee and water most days.
Coffee is wonderful and delicious. And, often, coffee gives you that extra “push” you need to start the day with a nice dump. (I’d apologize for being crass if I didn’t think everyone would agree that starting the day with a digestive tract on “empty” is always preferable to the alternative).
Then, I drink water throughout the rest of the day to make sure that I’m not getting dehydrated and that my digestive system is getting the fluids it needs to help me not get backed up in the future.
I won’t lie. It’s not perfect. I think my digestive system is weirdly connected to my emotions. It’s not uncommon for me to have a “constipation relapse” at particularly stressful points in my life (even when I’m still drinking my coffee and water). But, I’m sure as hell more “regular” than I was before.
Because water helps me control my eating habits
Once you get used to drinking the amount of water your body needs every day, it starts to help you keep your appetite in check. For me, this has helped drastically in me changing my eating habits.
I’ll be the first person to admit that I have a problem with sugar. I feel the need to end my meals with something sweet (like, always). Before drinking enough water, this need for sweet was achieved through soda or Vitamin Water (that ended up being futile – according to healthline.com, vitamin water is basically just “sugar water”).
But, now that I drink water regularly, I end my meals with half a serving to a full serving of fruit and then I drink more water. For me, it’s been a great way to trick myself into drinking almost no sugary drinks.
I mean, I won’t lie and say I never drink “fun” drinks. I still adore the occasional Pepsi and mixed drink. I think it’s important to never completely deny yourself things you enjoy. But, these are now my “special occasion” drinks. On a daily basis, I only drink coffee and water.
Because it makes me feel less bloated and pimply
I’m a woman with constipation issues, anxiety issues, and a love for coffee and spicy foods. So, I won’t pretend that I don’t get bloated, quite frequently.
Frankly, I feel like my belly is basically a small balloon for like a week and a half every 6 weeks or so (periods suck).
However, the bloat I feel now doesn’t even compare to the bloat I experienced when I used to drink a Pepsi a day and a latte a day, all while frequenting Taco Bell when they had those burritos with the hot Fritos in them (a personal favorite of mine).
Now, I at least I have the occasional day where my belly looks flat!
Plus, while I still suffer the occasional breakout – it’s nothing like before the added water. Now, I usually only break out from excess stress or it being that point in my menstrual cycle (water doesn’t stop hormones *wink, wink*).
Because it saves me time and money
When I was going to school to get my AA degree, I was going out of my way to get a latte nearly every day after my classes. For most of two years, I was spending about $130 a month on just lattes.
And, that’s not calculating the gas it took to go out of my way because the Starbucks I liked wasn’t on my commute path. Not to mention the extra time I spent driving and waiting in line! Looking back, I’m not sure I’d change the time I wasted and the money I lost because I truly think the lattes helped motivate me to keep going at a hard point in my life.
However, I can’t express how glad I am that I finally broke this cycle. Just think of how much I would have spent in a lifetime of this behavior?! (Please don’t do the math, I can’t bear it.)
Drinking coffee at home is cheap and drinking water is even cheaper *wink, wink*. Consider at least cutting back on the drinks you’re spending money on.
