Weight Loss
Our bodies have a very hard time telling the difference between hunger and thirst, which is why I always suggest drinking water 20-30 minutes before a meal. Studies have shown that those who drank water before meals lost weight more quickly initially and lost “significantly more” than those who didn’t drink water. Another study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that “people who drank water before meals ate an average of 75 fewer calories at that meal.” Now 75 calories may not sound like a lot, but if you ate 75 fewer calories at each meal for the next year, that could give you over a 14 pound weight loss just from that caloric reduction! And, although the impact may be small, drinking water has been shown to actually increase metabolism. Lastly, even being just 1% dehydrated will have a negative effect on your metabolism, actually slowing it down, so DRINK YOUR WATER!

Beauty
Now, aside from the weight loss benefits of drinking water, being well-hydrated has plenty of beauty implications as well. Our skin is 20% water, so consider what happens when we become dehydrated: your skin suffers. Want to reduce those fine lines and wrinkles? Stay hydrated! Drinking water also flushes out toxins and helps our organs run smoothly, which in turn gives you that glowing, dewy skin that not even a $500 jar of night cream can recreate (and water is soooo much cheaper). Do you have bags and dark circles under your eyes? DRINK WATER! Those pesky bags and circles are often caused by fluid retention, and drinking water is one of the best ways to alleviate retention (seems counterintuitive, but I promise it works). Drinking plenty of water will even give you shinier, healthier hair. Do you need more convincing to start upping your intake? Probably not.

How Much?
The “8 glasses a day” suggestion breaks down to about 1.6 to 1.7 liters a day of water, but everybody is different. I happen to drink more than that-so play around with your intake and see what makes you feel the best. You should notice and increase in energy (and urine out put-weeee). Have trouble drinking water straight without flavor? Try an infuser like this one-you can fill the infuser with anything from lemons to berries to mint to give your water a flavorful boost without adding calories! You can also set a reminder on your smart phone for every hour to make sure that you are remembering to drink, but once you start to see the benefits, I doubt you will need it!

For more tips and tricks and fashion fun, come visit me at My Life As Maya.