First off let me just say that drinking a gallon of water every day is NOT easy. At least not at first. When I first took on the challenge of drinking more water, the idea of somehow downing an entire gallon seemed daunting. Of course that is probably because I did it like I do most things, too much, too fast.
I had a huge gallon jug of water sitting in front of me that I knew I needed to get through so I chugged down as much as I could straight out of the gate. Bad idea because then I felt sick to my stomach. It didn’t last long because it’s water so it moves through you pretty quickly but I learned not to do that again!
*Here’s a tip from an experienced water drinker, just split the day in half. Try to drink half of your water by noon and drink the other half by the time you go to bed. It feel less stressful and urgent that way.
I’ve been at this gallon water drinking thing for a while now and I find that I am actually thirstier than before. Before I was drinking a gallon of water per day, I barely noticed my thirst. Like, it never even registered. They say that many people who don’t drink enough water misinterpret their body’s signal of thirst for hunger. Now that I am drinking more water though, I know the difference between when I feel hydrated and when I feel thirsty.
If a gallon seems like too much or if you would like a more precise formula for your specific bodily needs, you could alternatively choose to drink half your body weight in ounces rather than the preset gallon measurement of 128 ounces.
I personally find it easier to drink a straight gallon by filling my 64 oz insulated water bottle from Simple Modern twice a day. I have it on my bedside table ready to drink from in the morning, and then I fill it up again at lunch time. It’s easy and convenient, plus it’s cheaper and better for the environment than one use plastic bottles of water from the store.
Is Drinking A Gallon Of Water A Day Good For You?
Yes, drinking a gallon of water everyday is good for most people.
Water is essential to healthy body function and so it is important that you maintain proper hydration levels. How much water a person needs per day is based on many factors such as how much you sweat, how active you are, and how big your body is.
Technically speaking, your body already gives you this information by telling you that you are thirsty. Your body tells you that you’ve had enough to quench your thirst by telling your brain that you aren’t thirsty anymore.
In my case, a dehydrated mess of a person for most of my adult life, I no longer recognized the thirst signals. When I began to drink water for purely cosmetic reasons (to lose weight) I noticed an amazing array of other bonus benefits. I had more energy, clearer skin, and fewer headaches, but I also regained my ability to decipher when I was thirsty. Best decision I’ve made this year.
The Negative Effects Of Dehydration
Not drinking enough water on a daily basis can lead to being dehydrated.
Dehydration can cause all sorts of problems like headaches, sluggishness, dry flaky skin, constipation, and even dizziness.
Enough water everyday is needed to flush toxins from your body. If you are constantly dehydrated, you could be risking the development of kidney stones and kidney disease. You are also making it harder for your body to flush out all of the toxins in your body which means some are being left behind.
Signs that you are dehydrated could be infrequent urination that is dark yellow in color, constipation, headaches, dizziness, being tired all the time, and a persistent thirst.
1. Water is Essential To Healthy Body Function
Water is a key component to maintaining healthy, well-functioning cells within the body.
Drinking enough water each day helps maintain and regulate your body temperature and assists in lubricating your joints.
It also contributes to your body’s organs functioning at their highest level. Water enables your organs to carry out their jobs more efficiently. Having more water readily available also makes it easier to excrete waste by diluting urine and fecal matter. This prevents waste from being left behind and prevents kidney and liver damage from over exertion.
2. Weight Loss
One of my biggest motivators for drinking a gallon of water everyday is the side effects to my weight loss goals.
Drinking just 16 ounces of water each hour spikes your metabolic rate by up to 30% for the next half hour to forty-five minutes. So just by drinking a couple glasses of water each hour, you could be burning up to 30% more calories than you would be without the water. That’s amazing!
Water also assists with the process of flushing fat from your body. Water is a necessary ingredient in activating an enzyme called Lipase. The Lipase enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of fats. In layman’s terms, this enzyme is responsible for processing and transporting fats and oils throughout your body. You want this enzyme to be active so that it can efficiently transport healthy fats where they are needed and extra fats out of the body.
3. Improved Appetite
Thirst is commonly mistaken for hunger and because of this, we may overeat when what our body really needs is more fluids.
When you begin drinking more water during the day, you notice that you are hungry less often and tend to be satisfied with smaller meals. Some people have reported a reduction in their sugar cravings and instead crave healthier, fresh foods rather than fatty or sugary foods.
Additionally, drinking a glass of water before a meal will help you feel fuller faster and aid in digestion.
A special bonus of drinking so much water is that you won’t have enough time to think about food when you are peeing so much.
4. Get More Energy
Drinking more water will help boost your energy by improving body function.
Many people notice an energy slump at some point throughout the day. (For me, it was all day long. Ugh.) Come to find out, dehydration might be the culprit for your sleepy eyes. Try drinking plenty of water for a week and see the difference it will make in your energy levels and ability to focus.
For me, besides the possible weight loss, the other benefit I was really hoping to see by drinking a gallon of water a day was more energy. I felt like I was always just dragging but I am happy to report that my increased water intake has definitely improved my energy levels throughout the day. I also sleep better at night, thankfully.
5. Water Makes Your Skin Glow
Drinking more water doesn’t necessarily turn back the hands of time if you have sun damage or wrinkles, but it does hydrate your skin and elevate your body’s cell production which promotes more rapid cell turnover. This will in turn make you look like you are glowing from within and your skin will look and feel more hydrated and plump. Well hydrated skin will soak up skin care products more readily and maintain higher elasticity.
Water also flushes the toxins from your body including bacteria and dirt. If you have acne prone skin, this is exactly what you want because it leads to clearer looking skin with fewer break outs.
6. Banish Under Eye Circles
Drinking a gallon of water each day just might reduce your under eye circles.
Many people who suffer from dark under-eyes come by it through heredity but sometimes it’s just a matter of being dehydrated. The skin around our eyes is very thin. Not having enough fluids in our systems can make the blood vessels underneath more visible.
So drinking more water might improve your dark circles if it’s just a matter of dehydration. At the very least, it will decrease any puffiness you might be experiencing under your eyes.
7. Water and Brain Function
When your brain is properly hydrated, blood circulation to the brain is improved. This increases the amount of oxygen your brain is getting which in turn improves concentration, cognitive function, alertness, and memory.
A well hydrated brain is a happy brain and a happier human. You will notice more even moods and emotions as well as fewer headaches as they pertain to dehydration. You will also notice your sleep is improved.
8. Headaches and Dehydration
If you get frequent tension headaches, you might just be dehydrated. Tension headaches are caused by fatigue. One symptom of fatigue is dehydration. Try drinking more water and see if your frequent headaches are indeed caused by lack of enough water.
9. Joints and Reflexes
When you drink enough water everyday, your joints stay well lubricated. As mentioned previously, water flushes out toxins. So if you are suffering from joint pain or any inflammation, drinking more water will help you.
Dehydration can make the brain foggy and slow to respond. Drinking more water can increase quicker reflexes and agility.
10. Decrease Bloating
Bloating can come from a variety of sources such as too much salt in your diet, carbonated drinks, over-eating, etc.
If you are bloated and uncomfortable, you might think drinking water is the exact wrong thing to do.
Here’s the deal though. Water helps your body digest and perform waste operations. Drinking more water regularly will keep all of your organs and digestive functions running in tip top shape. This not only helps you keep bloating at bay in the long run but can help you get things moving when you are bloated in a pinch.
11. Water Aids Digestion
As mentioned above, water is critical to your digestive functions and in keeping your body “regular”.
Having sufficient water in your system aids the body in breaking down food to be used as fuel and absorbing nutrients.
If you don’t drink enough water, you will likely have dark yellow urine and will urinate less frequently. This results in some waste and toxins being left behind because there wasn’t enough fluid to sufficiently dilute them and carry them out of the body.
When you are dehydrated, you will likely have stiffer and harder to pass bowel movements. This puts unnecessary stress on your liver and colon and in turn, doesn’t get the job of removing the waste done properly.
12. Water Is So Much Cheaper!
If you are in the habit of picking up your favorite coffee order each morning, drink lots of sugary fruit juice and other calorie laden drinks, or if like the old me, you drink way too much soda, then this tip is for you! Drinking water is SO MUCH CHEAPER!
As I mentioned previously, I use an insulated 64 oz Summit water bottle that I fill twice a day with filtered water from my Brita water pitcher. I replace the pitcher filters every couple months. I get them in a 4-pack when I buy them, so that lasts me like 8 months.
You only have to buy the pitcher and the water bottle once. That is so darn much cheaper than the massive amount of money I had previously been shelling out for drinks that were ruining my health and feeding disease.
If you work outside the home and therefore aren’t near your fridge to refill your water bottle come lunchtime, I have an alternative plan for you.
I originally ordered the Simple Modern 84 oz Chug Bottle but they mistakenly sent the 64 ounce one instead. At first I was disappointed and was going to return it but then I realized that it was perfect for me because it was exactly half of a gallon.
For someone working outside the home though, get the 84 ounce bottle to take with you to work and have a 40 oz insulated water bottle on your nightstand. Drink at least half of it when you wake up before going to work and drink the rest when you get home and before you go to bed. This combination is only 4 ounces shy of the full 128 ounces in a gallon. Not too bad!
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So with all of these amazing benefits of drinking a gallon of water everyday laid out for you, will you take the challenge of drinking more water? Do you think you could get through a whole gallon in a day?
If you do decide to join me on my water drinking journey, let me know in the comments what your experiences are with it? Do you notice brighter skin, more energy, or a significant weight loss? I’d love to hear from you and what you think about this whole thing!
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