Water - A magical potion to lose weight?

Every living being's survival is dependent upon food and water, while one can dodge hunger but to live without water is impossible. Our bodies are made up of about 60 per cent of water and help to carry out functions such as wiping out toxins, body waste, helping in digestion, regulating body temperature, has multiple benefits on skin, hair and internally on our body as well.

Many of us are conscious of our body weight and try to reduce it by following extreme diets, exercising, or changing our food habits. While these are proven ways to reduce weight, the most important trick is persistence. The more you bring these changes into your habit, the easier the weight loss mission becomes.

Hence, a simple yet effective habit for keeping your weight in check is ‘Drinking Water’. Drinking enough water is known to assist weight loss and here’s how it can benefit you:

You’re not hungry…you’re just thirsty: Sometimes, the body isn't able to differentiate between hunger and thirst. So, if you're feeling hungry and are tempted to snack on high-calorie food, have a glass of water first. Most likely you could be just thirsty and thus the glass of water would cause you to feel full and stop you from consuming those extra calories.
Water can assist you to eat less: Drinking water before a meal has its benefits in overall weight loss, possibly because you're feeling full and thus tend to eat smaller portions of food thereafter. In one study, folks that drank water before a meal ate about 75 calories lesser during the meal. That, in itself, won’t appear to be much. But 75 x 365 (days during a year) means 27375 calories less during a year, which corresponds to an approximately 4 kg weight loss, without much effort.
Water can assist you to digest your food better: Drinking an ample amount of water helps in the digestion of food with ease and not causing stress on the digestive system. Additionally, water is important for your kidneys to function smoothly and reduce the danger of stones and prevent constipation.

Healthy alternatives to water: If you are feeling hungry or tempted to have aerated drinks, reach out to the following alternatives instead of water without getting back those extra unnecessary calories
Pure fruit juice: Always read and confirm the information printed on the label first. Fruit juice often comes with added sugars and could be high in calories, besides the nutritional value. Understand the real nutritional value and then decide to drink. Fresh fruit juices are the best as they are freshly squeezed out and comes with no sugar, preservatives, editable colours or artificial flavours.

Fresh vegetable juice: Besides being nutritious as fruit juices, vegetable juices promise fewer calories and plenty of fibre.

Skimmed or low-fat milk: Alongside the goodness of calcium with lesser calories, low-fat milk is preferable over milk, when on a diet.
Green tea: Another great source of antioxidants, tea can also aid weight loss.

To drink or to not drink: If you’re on a diet to reduce, you'll definitely be keeping an eye fixed on your calorie intake. But remember to observe your fluid intake too! It is okay to opt for healthier options as they add nutritional value to your body. But, refrain from drinking the following liquids.

Carbonated drinks: High on calories and low on nutrition, it’s best to avoid these under all circumstances.

Fruit juices with sugar: Some fruit juices have the maximum amount of sugar added as carbonated drinks. Always read and confirm the information printed on the label first.

Alcohol: Alcohol is already a high-calorie beverage, which is without counting the fried snacks or nuts that sometimes accompany a glass of alcohol.

Always remember, it is essential to drink water from a clean and purified source. Impure water is exposed to multiple things such as dust, pollution, metals, toxins and may have the presence of micro-organisms leading to health issues in the future. Thus, invest in a good water purifier to be safe and healthy.

Also, avoid over-drinking or consuming very less water, understand the requirement of your body and cater to it accordingly.