Can Water Help You to Lose Weight?

The answer is YES! While it is a well known fact that water is critical for healthy function of the human body, the role water can play in weight loss is less well known. However, the evidence is mounting for the argument that water does indeed help with weight loss.

Findings reported in WebMD Health News suggest that if you’re trying to lose weight, water can help the process. In a study carried out by German researchers at Berlin's Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center, it was found that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories. The study showed that the metabolic rate of subjects increased by 30% for both men and women after drinking two glasses of water. This increase occurred within ten minutes and reached a maximum forty minutes later. So, help your body burn up fat by drinking water!

Apart from increasing the rate at which calories are burned, water also helps suppress appetite. Often, when we think we are hungry, we are just thirsty. Water has no fat, calories or sugar, and therefore is an ideal substitute for high calorie drinks and snacks. Instead of reaching for a snack, reach out for water! Having a glass of water an hour before your meal will help you feel full and prevent overeating at meal times. If you drink cold water, the additional benefit is that your body will burn up extra calories to bring the temperature back up. Having foods with high water content such as vegetables and soups for example also helps lower your total daily energy intake, as the water makes you feel full, without the calories.

Most people who are on a diet do not drink enough water. To metabolize food, the body needs water. For every gram of carbohydrate, the body requires three grams of fluid. So, drinking sufficient water can help your body burn up carbohydrates instead of storing them. Additionally, proper hydration while you are on a diet is very important, as you are more prone to water retention and constipation as your body starts losing fluid along with the weight. If you are dehydrated, your body will slow down its calorie burning processes.

Water plays an important role in re-hydrating and detoxifying your body. It prevents dehydration, regulates body temperature and transports nutrients around the body. A well hydrated body flushes toxins from the body more efficiently. Due to our modern day diets, which include the routine consumption of highly acidic soft drinks, we need sufficient water to help neutralize the effects and dispose of waste products. In the course of a normal day, you lose water through sweating, breathing, urine and bowel movements. The more active you are, the more water you lose. As a result, for your body to function properly, you need to top up and replenish its water supply. The recommended guideline is to drink around 8 glasses of water a day.

Tips for creating a water habit:

-Make water you beverage of choice, and substitute water for soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
-Carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go, and regularly take a sip
-Drink a glass of water with each meal
-If you get bored of the taste of plain water, add a squeeze of lemon for zing

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