Forget exotic face creams and juice regimes, getting hydrated is the simplest path to a radiant complexion and feeling fantastic.
Drinking water helps maintain a healthy body weight and keeps our skin all glowy. ‘It also decreases muscle and joint inflammation, aids better circulation and detoxifies your body naturally,’ says Viv Cudahy, founder of Bobble filtered water bottles. The best bit? It doesn’t cost a penny. Despite this, many of us still struggle to sip enough on a daily basis. Here are five ways to drink more water and stay on top of those H20 levels.
1 Pour a glass before breakfast
Timing is key when it comes to reaping the benefits of hydration. ‘Drink water when you first get up,’ says Cudahy. ‘But not just before bed if you don’t want to get up to go to the toilet in the night.’ Keeping on top of water levels at all times can be a natural way of staying immune if you are surrounded by infectious family members. ‘A well-hydrated body helps to move along any invaders before they settle down and multiply in your system,’ Cudahy explains. “Drinking water each day before or after going out in public can help to prevent certain types of viruses, or lessen their severity.’
2 Remember, this time it’s personal
Following official guidelines isn’t necessarily wise. ‘The suggested eight glasses a day is not accurate enough,’ suggests Cudahy. ‘The amount a person needs to drink to avoid getting dehydrated will vary depending on a range of factors, including their size, the temperature and how active they are. You should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.’ But, don’t overdo it, warns Cudahy: ‘Drinking too much water causes a sodium imbalance which can be really dangerous, risking swelling of the brain.’
3 Pay attention
Get to know what your hydrated body feels like. ‘It’s important to listen to your body – if you feel uncomfortable then you may have had too much water,’ suggests Cudahy. ‘Experts say drink until you don’t feel thirsty, then stop.’ Set a challenge for yourself of how much water you’d like to drink before the end of the day, and then make it really easy for yourself to achieve. The expert’s tip? ‘I try to drink two litres of water a day, so I fill up two one-litre Bobble bottles when I wake up, so it’s easy to see how much I have left to drink,’ says Cudahy.
4 Keep up appearances
We use pretty things more. Fact. ‘We’re more likely to leave things in sight if we like the look of them, making them easier to remember and use every day,’ says Cudahy. We love the Bobble SPORT‘s zingy colours and easy grip.
5 Drink clean
Avoid environmentally unfriendly disposable bottled water, and embrace the tap. For top marks, filter it. ‘Drinking clean filtered water reduces chlorine, which some people have associated with certain types of cancer,’ explains Cudahy. ‘Bobble bottles have a built-in, replaceable carbon filter, which should be replaced every two months, that removes chlorine and organic contaminants found in everyday tap water, which gives you a cleaner, crisper taste.’ Bottoms up!
Pushing up your water intake will not only make you look great, but feel amazing too. Got any more tips for keeping hydrated? Tweet and share them with us @healthymag