Drinking a cup of water before, during and after your meals can help stop food cravings and provide a host of other benefits!
The Benefits of Drinking Water
You might think there’s virtually nothing exciting that I could tell you about water—other than the fact that it’s the most essential element for life—but you’d be surprised. And I’m not even going to be touching on the importance of hydration.
New research shows that the amount of water you drink can play a direct role in controlling weight, reducing sugar and sodium intake, and lowering cholesterol—all instrumental factors in the fight against metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Now you might be wondering how just plain old water can do all this. Well, it’s important to keep in mind that two-thirds of your body is made of water. That’s a lot—so that number alone indicates that its impact on your health should be considerable.
Researchers looked at how much water was consumed by 18,300 U.S. adults. They looked at water consumption via plain drinking water (which they called “plain water”), as well as water derived from other sources like tea, coffee, and various foods. Celery, tomatoes, and apples, for example, have a very high water content. After controlling for non-plain water sources, they learned that the average plain water intake was about 4.2 cups per day, while average caloric intake was 2,157.
People who consumed between one and three cups more than the average every day lowered their total caloric intake by 68–205 calories per day, lowered their sodium intake by 78–235 grams per day, reduced their sugar intake by five to 18 grams per day, and lowered their cholesterol intake by seven to 21 grams per day.
Those are pretty significant numbers, and they all make perfect sense—the more water you drink, the less likely you are to eat non-nutritious foods that can wreak havoc on your health.
Water: Before, During and After Meals
When I’m feeling hungry, for example, one of the first things I do is drink a glass of water. If I’m still hungry afterwards, I eat. Thirst often feels like hunger and it can only be quenched by water, not sugary options like soda or juice. When you address hunger with a glass of water you can save yourself unneeded calories and all the dangers that could come with them—like high sodium and sugar. So drink up!
Source for Today’s Article:
“Drinking more water associated with numerous dietary benefits, study finds,” Science Daily web site, March 1, 2016; https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160301174759.htm, last accessed March 10, 2016.