Why a glass of water should be your best friend?

Water. So simple but oh-so-important to us. I've never been very good at drinking enough water during the day but recently I've been trying to pay more attention to it and keep a bottle near me and take a good sip every now and then. I've listed a few good reasons that should all make us want to fill up the glass a bit more often...

• Fluid balance. Our bodies are made of approximately 60% of water(that's a LOT!) and to keep that level high enough, you need to consume water regularly and in sufficient quantities. The level of fluids needs to be high enough  to help our body transport nutrients to the right places, to digest food properly and to maintain a normal body temperature, just to mention a few.
• Clearer skin. I'm pretty sure we all notice this every now and then.. There are days when your skin just feels grey, dull and your pores seem more clogged. Water helps to flush the toxins out of your body and the results can be seen in your skin!
• Calorie control. Simple as it is, water helps you to feel fuller and therefore stops you from having that extra biscuit with your afternoon tea or makes you skip the round of seconds at dinner time. Always a good tip to have a big glass of water 10-15 mins before having a meal. 
• Kidney function. Our kidneys work hard to flush out all the dirty stuff out of our bodies and in order for them to work properly they need water.  On a rough morning after a good night out downing Jaegerbombs with your girls, you'll surely want to lend a helping hand to your poor kidneys... Also a great way to avoid that feared hangover,which nowadays is SO much worse than it was in the early 20s, is to drink a good amount of water before going to bed, and to make sure you drink some water during the evening too, in between your wine glasses. 
• Muscle energy. Muscles need water to avoid from getting tired, especially if you exercise a lot. So keep that water bottle filled up at you spinning classes!
• Helps you stay focused. Our bodies need fluids to stay alert and focused and to stay hydrated in order to avoid fatigue. Tiredness is one of the first and most common symptoms of dehydration, so next time you're craving for a coffee or Red Bull(this is written myself kept in mind!) you might want to try a couple of glasses of water first.
• Keep away cramps and aches. Water helps you keep your muscles and joints hydrated, flexible and healthy and therefore helps to keep the little aches away.
• Healthy digestive system. Enough fluids in your diet keeps your stomach working properly and helps to avoid digestive problems and constipation.

How much is enough water then? If your body needs water to keep all this little, and not so little, functions running smoothly, the recommendation for women is 1.6 litres(that is about 8 glasses of 200ml) and for men it is 2.0 litres(10 glasses). It sounds quite a lot and for a person who gets bored of flavours, or the lack of flavours, easily a good trick is to spice up your water a bit! Instead of buying ready flavoured waters from your local store, which I sometimes do (Tesco has a nice range of flavoured sparkling waters with really nice combos like elderflower and apple, and one with passionfruit!) you can fill up a big bottle in your fridge and add any fruit in it that you'd fancy - like limes, lemons, apple, grapefruit, cucumber, strawberry..whatever is your preference!

A watery cheers to that!