Allow me to set the scene:
It’s 2016. Eight o’clock in the morning. You yawn and stretch your arms up towards your headboard as your eyes squeak open to let in the morning light. You instinctively reach to your bedside table on the right and unplug your now fully charged iPhone. You unlock your device and zoom straight to Instagram. There, you see photo after photo of perfectly made acai bowls and intricately prepared salads. Then, you switch to Snapchat and see story after story of your friends posing with overpriced green juices or hiking to the top of a mountain.
Alongside the upsurge in soy, lactose and other food allergies, consumers, nowadays, seem to be more health-conscious than ever before. Television, magazines, and media of every type constantly depict fit celebrities, the newest workout attire and all natural, organic, plant-based meals.
Despite the widespread emphasis on healthy living, the importance of hydration seems to wither compared to exercise or low-carb diets. In reality, every cell in your body uses water to fulfill its designated bodily task. Likewise, every time you sweat or take a breath, for example, you lose water that must be replenished in order for the human body to function properly.
I’m sure your doctor, parent and next door neighbor have all advised you to drink more water, but in case those reminders didn’t compel you enough, here are just five reasons (in no particular order) why you should carry a water bottle everywhere you go:
1. Ease of Accessibility – By physically carrying a water bottle on your person, you will be constantly reminded to drink water throughout the day every time that extra weight of your daily commute dawns on you. Whether you carry around a backpack or nothing but a small purse, you can always clip a bottle onto your pack or simply hold onto it which will, again, hopefully prompt you to sip during the day. Plus, when you empty your bottle, odds are you will be able to find a water fountain somewhere in your near vicinity.
2. Energy & Mood Booster – I’m sure the average American would much rather reach for a cup of coffee to fix their 3 p.m. afternoon slump rather than a glass of water, but I strongly urge you to put this to the test yourself. Try making the choice of consistently reaching for water during a one week span and I guarantee you that you’ll notice a difference. Like any other organ in the body, the brain, in its entirety, needs water to function and even the mildest levels of dehydration can produce disruptions in mood, concentration, alertness and short-term memory. By hydrating constantly you will be setting yourself up for not only a happier day, but also, a quite literally, more productive and efficient state of mind (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
3. Elimination of Toxins – In addition to helping the gastrointestinal tract move more swiftly, water also has the ability to flush out bacteria and unwanted germs from the body. You may remember an adult telling to you keep drinking water when you were congested or under the weather. By staying hydrated, not only will you be helping your body preform normally while it’s fighting off sickness, but also, water thins mucus helping you breathe that much easier.
4. Environmental Benefits – In an effort to save Mother Earth, using a reusable bottles saves hundreds of years that a plastic bottle would take to fully decompose. Whereas plastic bottles use energy and omit toxins into the air during production and actually use more water to produce than the volume actually put into the bottle for drinking, a reusable bottle is far better for our air, landfills and overall environment (Ban the Bottle).
5. Easy Conversation Starter – In addition to the above health benefits, a water bottle can act as a symbol of each individual's soul. Okay, I know, that's a little dramatic, but it can act at the very least as a blank canvas which can be personalized in anyway imaginable. As a college student, I see so many stickers from hometowns, different countries, brands and organizations plastered on the bottles of my classmates. In addition to hydrating throughout the day and saving the environment, a sticker or symbol or even the water bottle itself can start a conversation and connect people to one another through joined beliefs or just pure curiosity.
While these are merely five reasons why one should hydrate throughout the day, I hope that you, yes you, have heard enough to one, go grab yourself a bottle of water right this second, and two, become curious enough to research the benefits of hydration more fully. The amount of water each person needs is highly disputed and varies tremendously due to weight, muscle mass, surrounding climate and physical activity, however, it is much much easier to become dehydrated than drink too much water. Once you start to feel thirsty, your body is already severely dehydrated. The saying that I think most people have grown up with is "drink eight, eight ounce glasses of water per day," but of course, ask your doctor for a more personalize hydration goal.
The bottom line is, regardless of whatever activity you're doing or whichever health craze sweeps across the country next, remind yourself to keep reaching for your water bottle, filling it up when it empties and treat your body to how it deserves to be treated!
