Water is one of the most overlooked factors to healthy living and weight loss. Your body is about 70% water, with the majority of your blood and every cell in your body being composed of water. You need water to function properly. That’s why this month we have taken the time to write down five benefits of water that you should be aware of. These, of course, are not the only benefits, but they are five that we think you will find very interesting, and will help you to achieve your weight-loss goals.

Promotes Weight Loss

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Flushes out Toxins

Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of. All the waste that is produced from the metabolized fat must be eliminated from the body. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.

Improves Muscle Tone & Skin

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that may follow weight loss. Shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

Maintains Regularity

Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. When a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.

It’s Free!

Just turn on your tap and enjoy these benefits and more from what water can offer. It’s amazing, once you build a habit of it, how different your body will look and feel.

How Much Water is Enough?

On average, a person should drink eight – 250ml glasses of water every day. That’s about 2 litres. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly and if the weather is hot and dry.

Water should preferably be cold – it’s absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. Some medical evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories.

To utilize water most efficiently during weight loss, follow this schedule:

Morning: 1 litre consumed over a 30 minute period.

Noon: 1 litre consumed over a 30 minute period.

Evening: 1 litre consumed between 5 and 6 o’clock