insideKENT Magazine Issue 90 - September 2019 | Seite 94

HEALTH+WELLNESS
H2Oooooh!
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE PUT IT BEST IN THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT
MARINER: “WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE, NOR ANY DROP TO DRINK”.
It’s true.
Look around and there is water everywhere: in the
sea, the rivers and lakes, in a British summer’s day,
on supermarket shelves, and right there, in your tap.
Yet who amongst us really wants to drink it when
there is so much else on offer that just tastes so much
more… well, anything. Because that’s the problem
with water, isn’t it? It’s so very boring.
It’s a shame that all it does is keep us alive…
As a nation we really need to drink more water and
get over the fact that it doesn’t taste as good as those
sugar-laden fizzy soft pops and exciting exotic fruit
juices. Water is inexpensive, it’s the best thing for
your health, and – if you’re using the water from
your kitchen and a reusable drink’s bottle – it’s good
for the environment too. So come on, let’s get watered
and enjoy those marvellous benefits.
The Benefits of Drinking Water
So just what benefits are we talking about when we
extol the virtues of drinking water? Apart from the
fact that you need water to live and stay hydrated,
and that dehydration can lead to some nasty problems
including kidney disease, heart issues, skin irritation
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and – eventually – death, here are some of the biggest
reasons why we need more water in our lives.
• It Helps You To Exercise
When you’re exercising, the very best thing you
can do is drink plenty of water. If you don’t, not
only do you run the risk of become dehydrated,
but you also aren’t going to perform at your
best physically.
If you don’t drink enough, your body finds it hard
to regular its temperature, plus your muscles aren’t
able to work as quickly as they otherwise would.
Not only that, but your mind won’t be as sharp.
All in all, the difference between a good workout
and a bad one, a win or a loss, could be the amount
of water you drink.
• Fewer Migraines
Migraines, whatever the reason behind them, are
one of the most debilitating pains to be suffered.
We’re pretty good at working through pain for the
majority of the time, but a migraine is something
else, and until it passes, you might be unable to
function normally, meaning time off work and
having to pass on social events.
Water can help to reduce the pain and intensity
of a migraine (and other headaches too).
• Keeps You Regular
Lots of problems happen when you don’t drink
enough, and constipation is, unfortunately, one of
them. When you drink water, it helps to soften
your stools, making the job of disposing of them a
much smoother, less painful one. To prevent
constipation or to relieve it if you are suffering,
drink up.
• It Can Help With Weight Loss
The last thing we’re suggesting is that you replace
food with water if you want to lose weight. That
would be a terrible idea. Don’t do it. What you
can do, however, is drink a big glass of water before
a meal – think half a litre around half an hour
before you’re planning to eat. This helps you to
feel full up, so you won’t overeat and in the end
you’ll be consuming fewer calories.
Plus, you need to drink water when you eat anyway.
If you eat and don’t have anything to drink,
digestion won’t be as effective and it will take longer,
so you’ll lose a lot of the nutrients you just consumed.