H2O powers: The fountain of youth

Harness the beautifying powers of H20 to make your skin glow and hair shine.

KARACHI: We’ve all heard time and again that “drinking water is good for health” but have never taken it seriously. Here are some of the reasons on why you should pick up that glass of water and take a few sips.

Weight loss

Water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Water works as an appetite suppressant and a 2010 study by scientists at Virginia Tech in the US found that overweight people who drank two cups of water before every meal lost four-and-a-half pounds more on average than people who didn’t. This find supported the results of an earlier study, which revealed that people who drank water before meals ate approximately 75 fewer calories at that meal.

Healthy heart

Drinking more water could lower your risk of heart attacks. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology on May 1, 2002 found that those who drink more than five glasses of water a day were 41 per cent less likely to have a heart attack than those who drank less than two glasses.

More energy

“Two thirds of our body weight is water. All of this water is needed by our bodies and a one per cent loss of our body weight due to fluid loss can cause dehydration which can lead to serious medical complications,” reveals Dr Seema Ahmed, a general physician. Even slight dehydration can lead to weakness and headaches. If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness and dizziness, reports webmd.com.

Reduce digestive issues

Our digestive system needs a good amount of water to digest food properly, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Water can often help cure stomach acid, indigestion problems and can often ease constipation. “Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body, these toxins can be harmful if not removed from the body,” states Dr Ahmed.

Healthier skin

“By drinking water, you moisturise your skin from the inside out. As our skin is composed of approximately 20 per cent of water, it will wrinkle faster without adequate moisture. Dry skin causes skin to sag faster than it would normally. Skin that is becoming saggy will plump up nicely when the skin cells are hydrated,” reveals Dr Jaffer Imam, a dermatologist at Liaquat National Hospital.

Water as an accessory

Unfortunately, despite knowing the benefits of H20,

remembering to keep sipping is still a problem and the only solution is to make drinking water a part of your day. To do this, it is important to have a fresh supply with you at all times. Keep a back-up supply everywhere: at work, your car, the gym locker, even in the baby buggy. Sip your water at the red traffic lights, while walking and even at your hairdresser.

“Sip water to allow your body to absorb it slowly. Gulping water will only make your feel bloated. Your water  consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It is not healthy to drink too much water at one time,” emphasises Dr Ahmed.

Celebrities tips Tyra Banks

The former supermodel told her Twitter fans that drinking H2O was an important part of her beauty regime; “Everybody should drink some water. It is good for the zit zapping.”

Nigella Lawson

British domestic goddess has declared that she is an aquaholic and can’t stop drinking it. She drinks up to three litres of water before going to bed.

Source: femalefirst.co.uk, The Sun

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2011.