We all know that drinking water is important, helps with skin, yada yada yada. But do you know how much water you should drink and why? 

Water is so important. Water can help you lose weight, clear up skin, and genuinely make you feel better. It is like a superfood! Except, well, it is liquid. 

To be healthy you should drink around ½ gallon depending on your height, weight, and activity level. I know that sounds like a lot; however, you can split it up into eight eight-ounce glasses throughout the day. 

Basically, you should be drinking four water bottles of water a day. 

That may sound like a lot, but the benefits are worth it!

Water helps you lose weight. This may sound crazy, probably because it is. Water doesn’t really help you lose weight. You don’t just drink water, then the next day be as snatched as the last Oreo cookie.

How it actually works is that water makes you feel full. Sometimes, when you’re thirsty your brain will actually tell you that you are hungry when you’re not. 

Also, science has shown that water boosts your metabolism, which is awesome considering the other things you have to do to boost your metabolic rate (number of calories you burn in an hour); such as, like building muscle through running, lifting, or other exercise. 

Now, let’s talk about how water helps your skin. First, you need to know that water hydrates your skin. According to healthline.com,  “Dry skin can trigger excess oil production, which could contribute to acne.” Tada! No more dry skin; no more ache.

So far we have covered things that are mostly common knowledge, but water also helps with digestion, heartburn, headaches, bloating, and so much more. Seriously, go to Google right now and look up, “Does water help with…”. I swear you will see tons of websites to prove all of this.

By now you must be thinking of drinking more water, at least I hope so. However, suddenly consuming way more water that you usually do may be hard. 

So, let me suggest a few options. One, start by adding a water bottle a day for a week. Then, you can add another water bottle throughout your day. Step it up.

Two, there are these awesome water bottles on Amazon that tell you how much water you should drink each hour. I would suggest trying to use one of those. 

Three, finish a water bottle before you leave from each meal. Then you only have to drink one water bottle throughout the day. 

Fourth, you might not know this, but I think drinking through a straw makes me drink more. So, perhaps you should try a reusable straw next time.

Finally, another way to improve your hydration might be to consider trying flavored waters or carbonated water. Be careful of added sugars! You don’t want that. 

I know this will be hard at first, but I believe in you! Once you start drinking enough water your life will change for the better. Plus, once you get the hang of drinking water you can brag to your friends about how much water you drink. Trust me, it is so much fun.