In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleMy Plan to Drink More WaterIncreased EnergyImproved Skin ElasticityWeight LossStronger Immune SystemIncreased CreativityImproved Joint Function
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
My Plan to Drink More Water
Increased Energy
Improved Skin Elasticity
Weight Loss
Stronger Immune System
Increased Creativity
Improved Joint Function
Close
Photo: getty images / Jose A. Bernat Bacete
I was born and raised in the South, and sweet tea and Coke were staples of my childhood fluid consumption. (There was a time when my bloodmighthave had the viscosity of syrup.) I really only consumed water when engaged in activities like mountain biking, running and backpacking. My preferred drink with a meal was iced tea—sweetened, of course—and after spending multiple days backpacking, I couldn’t wait to procure an ice-cold Coca-Cola from the closest convenience store.
After turning 50, however, I began reevaluating my daily fluid intake. I wanted to see what eliminating—or at least greatly reducing—sugar-sweetened beverages would do for my overall health and fitness levels.
What Happens to Your Body When You Don’t Drink Enough Water
Here’s how I drank more water over the course of 30 days, all while maintaining a healthy diet.
This plan guaranteed me anywhere between 72 and 84 ounces of water daily, not counting any additional water consumed while running or biking or fromhydrating foods in my diet.
Why was I embarking on this journey to drink more water and fewer sugary drinks? For starters, I read thatdrinking plenty of water could provide health benefitssuch as increased metabolism, younger-looking skin, weight loss, a stronger immune system and increased creativity and cognitive performance.
“Drinking water and staying hydrated is important for your overall health,” saysLisa Valente, M.S., RD. “Getting enough water is important for your immunity, skin, joints, sleep quality and more.”
Since I’m not an “ease into it” type of person, I decided to dive straight into this hydration challenge. However, it proved more difficult than I initially thought because here’s the thing: Water was only something I drank while exercising—and even then I often added a powdery mix for electrolytes and flavor. So drinking it continuously throughout the day was difficult.
Valente suggested thatrather than a specific number, I should try paying attention to my body’s hydration cues. “While 64 ounces is a good goal, you’ll want to monitor your urine. The pee test is one of the best we have to check for dehydration,” says Valente. “You want your pee to be light yellow or almost clear—dark yellow is a sign you’re not drinking enough. If you’re really active or it’s hot, you may need more water than you typically do.”
Here’s what happened when I upped my water intake for a month.
I’ve always benefited from good geneticson the aging front, but I found that my skin’s elasticity improved in under a month. And it makes sense that if your skin is well-hydrated and “plumped up,” it fills in some of the smaller wrinkles.
The actual weight loss might have had something to do with not being as hungry, so I wasn’t eating quite as much as I had been. I also wasn’t taking in as much sugar since I had cut way back on sweet tea and Coke—which means fewer calories taken in.
A stronger immune system is important to stay healthy. And while I can’t medically attest to whether my immune system improved from drinking more water, I’m optimistic that eliminating my daily sodas could only enhance my resistance to potential ailments. Research, like the 2022 review inFrontiers in Immunology, shows that there’s a connection between sugar and inflammation. This can induce a hit to the immune system, weakening it, so reducing my sugar intake could only help.
Thebrain works bestwhen hydrated, which isn’t surprising, since about 80% of it is comprised of water, per a 2019 study inFrontiers in Neurology. I noticed that increasing my water intake allowed me to stay more focused during the day. Before, I was more concerned with what other beverage I could partake of and was easily distracted.
I intially thought this might be a coincidence because I found that keeping an insulated water bottle with me at all times made me less distracted—I didn’t have to think about what beverage I would be choosing next. But then I found out that my brain was probably seeking out energy, since glucose, which is what sugar turns into when it’s broken down during digestion, is the only fuel the brain uses. So my sugar-laden drink habit would send my blood sugar soaring—and then crashing. During the impending crash, my brain would trigger the need to replenish its energy. And so I would—and the sugary beverage habit cycle continued.
Add to that, being well-hydrated also helps to increase the synovial fluid in joints. Synovial fluid is like joint oil and allows the joints to move more smoothly. Because of this and the likely reduction in inflammation from ingesting less sugar, the extra water improved my ability to run longer with less irritation in my knees, ankles and hips.
The Bottom Line
Water is still, in my opinion, very bland. I was perpetually looking for alternatives or adding in items to make it more palatable.
Valente suggested that I try flavored sparkling water or a splash of juice in plain H2O. I found that I drank more water when I used a fun water bottle or when I used a straw. “Anything to make water less boring and to get you to drink more is a good idea. I think infusing water with fruit and herbs—like mint—is a great way to make it more fun,” Valente said.
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