Did you know that if you drink more you will actually burn more fat, eat less, and even lose weight?

And I’m not talking about drinking more wine or beer!

I’m talking about water.

Water itself doesn’t have any magical properties that burn fat, but it is definitely connected to your body’s ability to burn fat properly and to maintain a healthy weight.

Your body is made up of 60% water. Most of us walk around dehydrated because we are either too busy to stop and grab a drink (of water, that is), we don’t enjoy drinking water, or the biggest trap is that we mistake hunger for thirst.

The moment you feel hungry, this is a good time to stop everything and drink 8-10 oz. of water. Then wait a few minutes and see if you’re still hungry. You’ll know pretty quickly if you were just thirsty or if those hunger cues were actually legit. If you will follow this one rule daily, and especially over the holiday season when there are parties at night to attend, extra treats laying around, and the “vacation mindset” is heightened, you will ward off additional pounds from snacking when you are really just thirsty.

The other benefit to drinking water more frequently throughout the day is that you won’t grab sodas, sugary drinks, juice, or even the deadly diet soda.  This simple swap can cut down on the pounds.  We have had friends and clients take up our water challenge and drop 5-10 pounds from the simple act of drinking first, then eating.

So here’s my Water Challenge:

Today (and tomorrow, and the next day), when you feel hungry, drink 8-10 ounces of water first.  You may just find over time that you eat less, kiss cravings good-bye, have more energy, experience fewer headaches, and find your waistline shrinking.

Are you in?

10 Reasons to Drink More Water

1.  Stay Alive

You won’t live long without water since your body and cells are 60% water.  If you rarely drink water, this could be a big root causes for some of the ailments you experience.  Systems will shut down, organs will not function properly, hormones will go haywire and you will begin to see symptom after symptom arise.   The good news?  It’s an easy fix!  Drink more water to stay and feel alive rather than just survive!

2.  Help Your Mood

Dehydration has been proven to cause crankiness.  Who wants to be cranky and irritable all day?  We all have enough variables in our day that might tempt us to be stressed out and cranky – eliminate this one.  Drink your way to happy today. (1)

3.  Prevent Headaches

Some headaches are brought on by dehydration.  Stress is another big cause and when we are stressed we tend to drink less water.  So it’s a big nasty cycle we get ourselves in which leaves us feeling depleted and hurting.  So the next time your head is pounding try drinking a full 8-10 ounces of water, close your eyes for 5 minutes, and watch the headache disappear!  Better yet, prevent the headache from coming on by starting early in the morning with water and continuing all day.  I used to experience 10-20 migraines a month due to fibromyalgia and water was an important key for me. One key for me has been plenty of water, being mindful of stress, and when those aren’t kicking it, I use this amazing trick.

4. Increase your Performance

If you are BURSTing or exercising in other ways, in order to go harder, last longer, and improve your athletic performance drink more water!  Your muscles are composed of 75% water so without it you will be operating at less-than-optimal levels.  Dehydration can lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and electrolyte imbalance.

5.  Decrease Joint Pain

Increasing your water intake can decrease your joint pain by keeping cartilage soft and hydrated.  We also love to use doTERRA Deep Blue Essential Oil or rub to help decrease inflammation post exercise. It feels like you’ve gone to the spa!

6. Prevents Overeating

Hunger cues are often misinterpreted and are really indicators for dehydration.  Rather than grabbing a snack at the first sign of hunger, grab a drink of water.  Don’t misunderstand that water makes you feel full so you eat less.  It’s really that water hydrates your cells so your body functions properly, which in turn helps you not to crave food when you’re really not hungry.

7. Detox Your Body

Water is necessary to flush waste out of your body in the form of sweat, urine, and fecal matter.  If you don’t consume enough water waste will build up in your body, your liver, and your colon causing all kinds of digestive issues and more. Drink more water, consume fibrous foods like fruits and veggies that also have high water content to aid in digestion and your body’s natural waste elimination.

8.  Feed Your Body

So I mentioned we need water to stay alive.  But did you know that water also helps transport nutrients throughout your body?  In order to maximize the nutrients you are getting from food or supplements, drink water to help get it where it needs to go!

9. Prevent Cancer

Sadly, cancer seems to be more and more common these days. I remember a time in my life when the big “C” word was a shocker to everyone because it was so rare.  But various research says staying hydrated can reduce risk of colon cancer by 45% (2),  bladder cancer by 50% (3), and possibly reduce breast cancer risk as well. (4)

10. Create Beautiful Skin

Since your skin is the largest organ of your body properly hydrating your cells will create a youthful glow every day!

Are you going to try the Water Challenge for the next couple of days? If you do, join the conversation and let me know how you are doing!

#drinkmorewater