Water is required in almost every one of the different processes in the body. The human brain is 95% water, your lungs are 90% water, your blood is 83% water, your muscles are 76% water and your bones are 22% water—and we are 100% sure that staying hydrated is essential for optimal health. If fact, that may even be an understatement. Yet, Americans are chronically dehydrated. It is reported that nearly 75% of U.S. adults are dehydrated on a daily basis. It is no wonder that when we fail to prioritize drinking enough water, we also struggle to reach our health and fitness goals.

If you’ve ever had a health problem, you’ve probably been asked if you’re drinking enough water. Well, the same goes for weight loss. Not seeing the scale budge? Ask yourself if you’re drinking enough water.

When we’re on a health and fitness journey, we tend to focus on eating clean and working out—so much so that we often overlook water consumption. However, water plays such a huge role in weight loss that it could be the one thing holding you back from reaching your goals. Even if we are consistent with hitting the gym and dedicated to eating healthy, we still may not see the results we want to see if we are not consuming enough water. So, for the 75% of us who fall under the chronically dehydrated group, and for those of you out there who are working to lose weight, it’s time to better understand what role water plays in weight loss and some simple ways you can stay properly hydrated every day.

Reduced Appetite

Water helps us reduce our appetite in a few different ways. Your body struggles to differentiate your feelings of hunger and thirst, which means that sometimes when you feel hungry, it could be a sign that you are dehydrated. Have you ever felt hungry, eaten something that usually fills you up and still felt hungry afterward? It’s most likely because your body didn’t need food, it needed water. Thirst disguised as hunger is common for a lot of people who are dehydrated. The problem is, when we confuse the two, often we reach for a snack instead of a glass of water, leading us to consume more calories than necessary. While calories in versus calories out isn’t everything when it comes to weight gain and weight loss, and it certainly isn’t the only way to lose weight, it still plays a role. If we are constantly eating a surplus of calories and our goal is to achieve a healthier BMI, we most likely won’t see the results we are looking for.

Solution: The next time you finish a full, balanced meal and still feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water and wait 20 to 30 minutes before you eat more food. That’s about how long it will take for your body to process the water and for you to know if you are hungry for more food or not.

Bonus: When your stomach feels like it is full, it will send signals to your brain to stop eating. Water takes up space in the stomach, resulting in feelings of fullness, signaling to the brain that it is no longer hungry, therefore reducing hunger.

Fat Burn

Water is necessary to burn fat. It is required in the process of metabolizing stored fat and carbohydrates. Without water, your body won’t be able to convert excess carbs and fat into usable energy. This process is called lipolysis. Being dehydrated slows down your metabolism because it won’t have the water it needs to process what you are consuming.

Solution: If you want to keep your body in a consistent fat-burning mode, being properly hydrated should be a priority.

Bonus: Staying hydrated encourages you to drink water instead of sugar-filled drinks, so you’ll also be cutting out empty calories.

Energy

Dehydration is one of the main causes of daytime fatigue. When you hit that mid-afternoon slump or you feel like you don’t have the energy to work out, you don’t need to reach for a second coffee or energy drink—you may just need to drink some water! Staying hydrated is going to help keep your energy levels high throughout your entire day, ensuring you have the energy you need to push yourself to work out.

Solution: Put down the energy drink and try sipping on a cup of water. You may find that you don’t even need the extra caffeine anymore.

Bonus: If you do have the energy to work out, staying hydrated will help your muscles recover faster and reduce your feelings of soreness. So, you’ll be ready to go crush another workout sooner than you would if you weren’t properly hydrated.

Need-To-Know Water Facts

Something important to know is that when you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. You don’t want to wait to drink water once you feel thirsty. You want to avoid those feelings of thirst. Drink water regularly throughout your day to make sure you prevent dehydration.

Just as important: There is such thing as drinking too much water. In this case, more doesn’t mean better, and it won’t make you healthier, either. When you drink too much water, it can cause your body to expel essential vitamins and minerals you need, throw off your electrolyte levels and dilute your blood.

At Burn Boot Camp, we like to stick to the rule of thumb that you should drink your body weight in ounces of water every day. It may be difficult to suddenly start drinking that much water if you aren’t already regularly drinking enough. In that case, start with drinking half your body weight in ounces and slowly increase that number each week until you reach your water intake goal.

We also realize that drinking plain water isn’t necessarily “fun,” but there are a few ways to make water more exciting.

Tips To Make Water More Exciting:

• Squeeze a lemon into your water.

Bonus: Lemon water is anti-inflammatory, helping to reduce bloating.

• Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with some cinnamon.

Bonus: ACV helps boost digestion.

• Sip on fruit-flavored herbal tea.

Bonus: If you prefer a sweet beverage, you can sweeten any of these with stevia.

• Switch it up with sparkling water, as long as it is free of artificial flavors and chemicals.

Bonus: Clean sparkling water is just as hydrating as regular water.

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Typical spiked lemonade often has 25 to 30 grams each of carbs and sugar—all from processed ingredients. The easiest way to cut carbs and sugar: Don’t use the fake stuff! Why use fake ingredients when real fruit tastes so amazing?

This spiked watermelon lemonade has no added sugar and makes sitting poolside that much sweeter. It’s way too easy. All you have to do is add vodka, water, watermelon, lemon juice and optional stevia to a blender and blend until it becomes completely smooth. You can serve your spiked watermelon lemonade right out of the blender, or you can pour it into a pitcher and refrigerate it while you wait for your friends to join you.

This spiked watermelon lemonade recipe is one of my favorite summer drinks. The clean ingredients make it taste light and refreshing, and it’s full of nutrients like vitamins A and C. Plus, the water and watermelon give you a boost of hydration—you can’t go wrong!

This Spiked Watermelon Lemonade is…

Summer Staple

Refreshing

Perfect Poolside

Added sugar–free

Hydrating

Spiked Watermelon Lemonade Ingredients

1 cup vodka

1 cup water

6 cups seedless watermelon

3 lemons

3 drops liquid stevia (optional)

Spiked Watermelon Lemonade Directions

Add vodka, water, seedless watermelon and stevia to a blender. Using a handheld juicer, juice lemons into the blender. Blend until watermelon becomes completely smooth. Pour into a large pitcher and refrigerate prior to serving.

Nutrition Facts

(Serves 4)

Per serving:

Calories: 211

Carbs: 20 g

Sugar: 16 g

Most of us know the feeling after enjoying a night out with friends—maybe you enjoyed it a little too much. The headache, nausea, the overall feeling of “Can today be canceled?” Hangovers are the body’s way of reminding us about the hazards of overindulgence. It makes sense when you break down the science of it all. The symptoms that we experience begin after blood alcohol levels start to fall. In fact, according to some experts, the worst symptoms occur when levels reach zero. How much you drank is just a small factor in the equation. Some studies even suggest that light and moderate drinkers are more vulnerable to getting a hangover than heavy drinkers. All that aside, we can all agree that recovery is the number one goal the day after indulging.

Usually, recovering from a hangover includes hydrating with some type of electrolyte-filled mixture. You might associate this with some version of a generic sports drink, loaded with fake sugars and artificial flavors, which is meant to aid you back to health. Problem solved—or maybe not so much. Although a pre-made, quick-fix drink sounds like a great choice, all the added artificial sugars, colors and flavors may be doing more harm than good. The common artificial ingredients found in typical sports drinks have been known to cause symptoms that include headaches, stomachaches, cravings, inflammation and irritability. Ironically, these are some of the same symptoms we experience with a hangover—which the sports drink was supposed to cure in the first place!

Instead of loading up on a blue or purple flavored drink with a hint of electrolytes, opt for one of these natural options instead.

Water

Maybe this goes without saying, but nothing hydrates better than water—simple as that. After a night out, dehydration is common. This is because alcohol depletes your body of water and vital nutrients. If you are dehydrated, you may experience unpleasant symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue and vomiting. Next time you are out on the town, remember to drink one 8-ounce glass of water between alcoholic beverages and then continue to load up on H₂O the next morning.

Coconut Water

We’ve already addressed that alcohol doesn’t only make you lose fluid—it washes away essential electrolytes. Potassium is one of the electrolytes depleted, which can leave you feeling weak and crampy. Potassium helps control the amount of fluid in the body, maintains a healthy blood pH level and is vital to cell function. Coconut water is a great choice to replace your sports drink. It has more potassium per ounce and is free of artificial colors and sweeteners.

Orange Juice

Another classic choice for morning-after recovery. Vitamin C is one of the major vitamins depleted by alcohol. We need vitamin C to support our immune system and act as an antioxidant to scavenge for free radicals, which cause inflammation and tissue destruction. Ever wonder why your skin looks so lackluster after a hangover? Vitamin C also helps your body produce collagen, which makes your skin appear hydrated and rejuvenated! Freshly squeezed OJ is the perfect drink to reach for when you’re on the mend.

Ginger Lemon Tea

Nauseous? Ginger is your new best friend. It works wonders to alleviate nausea. Add lemon in the mix for the ultimate recovery drink. Lemon supports your liver, which goes into overdrive trying to metabolize all that ethanol (aka alcohol). You can make it yourself by boiling some water and adding fresh slices of ginger and the juice of half a lemon.

Bone Broth

Before you turn your nose up at the thought of drinking bone broth, hear us out. Bone broth has tons of benefits. It contains L-glutamine, which supports the health of your small intestine, and glycine, which supports detoxification. While homemade is best, store-bought versions are still a great option. Just make sure you look for one made with whole food ingredients—like grass-fed beef bones and pasture-raised or free-range poultry bones—without additives, coloring or flavor enhancers.

Miso Soup

Let’s talk about another important electrolyte: sodium. Our body requires small amounts of sodium for nerve and muscle function as well as fluid balance. Drinking alcohol drains your body of normal sodium levels, so it is important to replenish those levels after the fact. Fermented soybean—otherwise known as miso—has naturally higher levels of sodium and contains probiotics and antioxidants that help sooth digestion, making it the perfect thing to sip on. Make sure when you are purchasing store-bought versions that you stay away from any ingredients with GMOs. As always, organic ingredients are best.

Beet Juice

After consuming alcohol, the liver is hard at work processing all that ethanol. You might feel achy or run down—but not to fear, beets are here! Beets contain betaine, which is an antioxidant rich in anti-inflammatory compounds. A clean pressed juice containing beets will help your liver cleanse your body and put that pep back in your step—just make sure it contains 100% juice and no preservatives if you go the store-bought route.

Virgin Bloody Mary

They say a little hair of the dog will do the trick, but your best bet to recover as fast as possible is to give your body a break from the booze. The ingredients that make up a Bloody Mary are a surprisingly great mixture for detoxing your body. Omit the alcohol but keep the tomato juice, lemon, olives and celery, and you have yourself a great recovery drink. Tomatoes have natural sodium, potassium and, most importantly, lycopene—an antioxidant that helps with detoxification. The lemon juice adds a nice kick of vitamin C!

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