Are you thirsty right now? You probably are. Chances are looking at the title reminded you to drink some water. So do it! Okay now that we are all hydrated, let’s dive in.

What does it mean to be thirsty? Why should you stay hydrated?

1. To live:Well firstly, most of your body is composed of water and when we are dehydrated, we affect the functioning of most of our body. We need water to stay alive, we can survive without water for only a few days depending on our environment. We can last much longer without food. Water is quintessential to our life and we need to prioritize it a lot more. We should ideally drink half our body weight in ounces, every single day.
2. Weight loss:We care about few things as much as we care about dropping those extra kilos. Water can actually act as a great appetite suppressant. Most of the times when we feel we are hungry, we are actually thirsty. The next time you feel those hunger pangs, grab your water bottle instead of a pizza slice!
3. Makes your skin glowWater helps to clear up your skin. It flushes out the toxins from your body and clears your skin of any first and bacteria.
4. Enhances physical performanceThere is a noticeable effect if you lose even 2% of your body’s water weight. Although most athletes lost 6-10% of their water content, most of us are far from being athletes! Dehydration can lead to altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise feel much more difficult, both physically and mentally. Also, CRAMPS! Major muscle cramps occur when you’re dehydrated. So if you don’t want to have a harder time at the gym, drink up.
5.  Aids hair growthWater hydrates our body and in turn, our circulatory system which then feeds the hair follicle to stimulate growth. If your roots don’t get enough water, your hair may end up dry, brittle and prone to breakage.
   Water energizes all the nerve endings in our scalp and revitalizes them to promote hair growth at the natural rate of our genetic hair growth.  It can also help in reducing dandruff and preventing thinning of hair.

Now that we know why we need to stay hydrated, let’s find out the best times to drink water to make full use of all of its magical properties.

1. As soon as you wake up

Will you run a marathon on an empty stomach? No, right? Well, then how can you start your day without water? A big glass of water as soon as you wake up helps to activate your organs and flushes out your toxins.

2. Before and after a meal

Drinking water 30 minutes before and after a meal to aid in digestion. But don’t drink water along with or too soon after a meal because that will hamper digestion and give you acidity. Allow your body times to absorb the nutrients from the food and then drink water.

3. Before and after a workout 

We have told you how much dehydration can affect your physical performance. So you must drink a substantial amount of water before your workout to avoid getting those painful cramps. Also, don’t forget to grab a glass of water you are done for the day to replenish your body because you just lost a lot of water in the form of sweat.

4. Before bath

A glass of warm water before taking a bath helps to lower your blood pressure. The warmth of the water that you drink, combined with the warmth of the water in the hot bath or shower serves to dilate your blood vessels, causing your blood pressure to drop. The water that you drink also serves to dilute your body’s sodium levels, which further decreases blood pressure. So a glass of water before a hot bath or shower really can help your health.

5.  Before sleep

You will go without water for six to eight hours straight now so you should replenish your body. Also, a glass before you hit the hay can reduce chances of heart attacks and strokes.

Water is the elixir of life, so drink up, buttercup!