Whether you’re drinking water to lose weight or are just interested in finding out what happens when you drink water on an empty stomach, you have reached the right place! ? Water has many different health benefits, but not enough people know about all these health benefits. It is pretty common knowledge that the majority of the human body is composed of water. Yet, from time to time, we still don’t drink enough water and we catch ourselves being dehydrated.
How to Tell if You Are Dehydrated
Some signs of dehydration are increased thirst, being tired or sleepy, dry mouth, decreased urine output, headache, dry skin, dizziness and urine of a darker hue. An indication that we are getting enough water into our system is frequent or regular urination throughout the day. The goal is to urinate 7 to 10 times a day, with at least 5 to 7 of those times being clear urine. If you see that your urine is getting a little dark, be sure to gulp down a tall glass of water!
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Now, keep watching for some of the reasons you should be drinking more water!
1. Helps with Bowel Movements
Drinking a lot of water not only clears your body of toxins but it creates the feeling of needing to pass stools. When your bowel movement gets regularized, you are releasing waste and toxins (preferably) on a daily basis. Not only does water detox the body, it also helps reduce swelling and keeps your body clean.
2. Fills You Up
Drinking water first thing in the morning not only eliminates your sleepiness but it also helps fill you up. So that you don’t eat as much, which is a great way to reduce your food intake and cut the pounds if you are trying to lose weight! So, try drinking water to lose weight, because it can help fill you up! Speaking of water, can you guess what is better for you – hot or cold water? Well, stick around till the end to find out!
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3. Stimulates the Growth of Red Blood Cells
Having water on an empty stomach stimulates the growth of red blood cells. Thus, creating more oxygenated blood and helping you feel energized and refreshed first thing in the morning!
4. Relieves Headaches
Headaches in the morning or throughout the day are usually an indicator that you are not having enough water. Having 8 ounces of water or more in the day can help reduce headaches!
5. Helps Your Immune System
Water is essential to your immune system. By keeping a stable balance of fluids in your body this will lead to a reduction of infections. Drinking water on an empty stomach in the morning will help you strengthen your immune system and lower the chances of sickness.
6. Increases Energy
Drinking water helps increase energy because it stimulates the growth of red blood cells.This helps keep you energized throughout the day.
7. Clears Your Skin
Drinking a sufficient amount of water will help keep your skin clear and glowing. Most of the time, acne originates from irregular bowel movements. Once that is regularized, toxins will begin to leave the body and help you detoxify. This leads to fewer outbreaks and acne.
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8. Increases Your Metabolic Rate
Drinking hot water is supposed to increase one’s metabolic rate by nearly 24 per cent! This helps your body burn through more calories. In turn, this helps you digest and assimilate food much faster and efficiently. Drinking water also aids in weight loss because thirst is often mistaken for hunger. When you feel hungry, have some water and see if you still feel the need for food. Moreover, having a tall glass of water before a meal will make you feel full, thus reducing the amount of calories you eat during the meal.
What to Drink- Hot or Cold Water?
Now that you know what happens when you drink water on an empty stomach as well as the various different health benefits of water, here’s the answer to whether hot or cold water is better for you!
According to the Daily Nutrition News, water that is 80 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit could be damaging to the body. By drinking cold water, you increase the risk of getting sick. The reason for this is that cold water decreases the function of the immune system. By creation of excess mucus in the body because of drinking cold water. In addition, research from the European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research showed that drinking cold water at that temperature can make your blood vessels become smaller and restrict your ability to digest food properly.
What Happens When You Drink Cold Water?
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There’s a lot of confusion out there about the “right” way to get hydrated. But in the battle of health information, there’s one clear winner: drinking warm water is just better for you than drinking cold water. Very few of us drink warm water, to begin with; unless it’s caffeinated. Or filled with hot chocolate powder, warm water doesn’t always appeal.
Cold water slows down the digestion process, which slows down the re-uptake of valuable nutrients into the bloodstream. And because cold water needs to be heated up before the body can use it, drinking cold water actually slows down the body’s re-hydration process. Making you thirstier than if you’d had hot water. When the body is exposed to cold temperatures, it restricts the blood vessels to avoid losing heat.
When most people are suffering from dehydration, they will experience constipation, joint pain, digestive issues and many more symptoms. In fact, some people will go for days without drinking water, which is alarming because about 60% of our body is made up of it. So it’s important that you consume a sufficient amount of water to avoid dehydration.
Reasons to Drink Warm Water
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Now, there is an ongoing debate on what type of water people should be consuming. While the obvious choice for most people is cold water, there is also research that states that warm water has health benefits as well. So I’m going to give you some good reasons to drink warm water.
Improves Digestion
The first reason is that it cleanses your digestion. Warm water helps break down the food in your stomach and keeps the digestive system going.
Alleviates Pain
According to Healthline, warm water is beneficial for cramps. Because it helps increase blood flow to the skin and also helps relax the cramp muscles.
Stops Premature Aging
Toxins in the body have the ability to speed up the aging process. But warm water can change that. It can help repair skin cells which can increase elasticity.
Decrease Stress Levels
According to a study published in the journal of Psychopharmacology, drinking warm water helps improve the central nervous system. You could end up feeling less anxious after a glass of warm water.