Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! We all know that drinking water is good for our health, but what about hot water? If that idea doesn’t exactly fill you with joy (especially during the Summer), you’re not alone, but it turns out that it could actually be pretty good for you.
To quench their thirst, most people may prefer cold water, but research shows that drinking warm water comes with greater benefits. What kind of benefits? Glad you asked!
-
Detoxifies your body
Drinking warm water is a great way to help naturally detoxify your body. The intake of warm water raises the body temperature causing your body to sweat and excrete out impurities while hydrating your body. Win-win!
-
Improves metabolism
This study found that drinking about 2 cups of water will increase your metabolic rate for about 30% for up to 40 minutes. Okay, so this applies to cold water as well, but if you add some ginger and lemon to your hot water you can increase the metabolic effect even more.
Plus, the ginger and pectin fibers present in the lemon will help control food cravings. You can have this lemon and ginger concoction after every meal, early in the morning before breakfast, or in the night before going to bed.
Note that you should only use fresh lemons and ginger for this purpose and avoid any bottled lemon juice as the preservatives can inhibit your metabolism.
So while this can give your metabolism a little extra boost – and it all helps – there are a few more effective ways to improve your metabolism that you can add to your routine too!
-
Improves menstrual cramps
Warm water with some carom seeds is a natural and inexpensive remedy for soothing menstrual cramps. The heat relaxes the abdominal muscles, relieving the pain caused by muscle spasms. It can also help with other types of pain including headaches, body aches and tummy aches.
-
Soothes sore throats
Warm water also helps to relieve a sore throat by easing throat pain and helping with the expulsion of thick phlegm by thinning it (I know, you’re welcome).
Squeezing fresh lemon, which is filled with vitamin C, in the water will boost the body’s immune system and help it fight off colds and flu. Did we mention how much we love lemons?
-
Improves hair health
Warm water helps maintain hair health, promotes hair growth and prevents dandruff from coming back. Warm water keeps the scalp hydrated and increases root activity, giving you soft and shiny hair.
-
Reduces constipation
Warm water consumption eases bowel movements and relieves constipation. Drinking a tall glass of warm or hot water on an empty stomach every morning improves bowel movements and also reduces the frequency of stomach problems such as bloating, gas and constipation.
-
Improves digestion
Some studies have shown that the consumption of warm water is linked to better digestion. It’s not definitive yet, meaning more studies need to be done, but there is also anecdotal evidence that it seems to work for many people. Try it out and let us know if it makes a difference for you!
-
Reduces signs of aging
You don’t need the fancy, overpriced anti-aging creams anymore because warm water can do it for you for at a very generous price: free!
By flushing out the toxins from the body and repairing the skin cells affected by free radicals, warm water helps prevents premature aging of skin. It increases the elasticity of skin and eases out wrinkles.
Staying properly hydrated is a great tool to add to your youthfulness regime, especially when it’s combined with regular exercise and a clean diet (maybe even incorporating some of these foods that can help you look younger.
Warm water is also good at keeping your skin acne and pimple free because it cleanses you internally and eliminates the bacteria which cause common skin ailments.
-
Enhances blood circulation
The heat from drinking how water helps improve your circulation, so that your blood and nutrients can flow freely to where they need to go.
Improved circulation means increased oxygen, and if you add some lemon to your hot water, the citrate it contains is also said to enhance blood circulation too.
If you really want to boost your circulation, lifting weights or other intense exercise is a great way to do it. You can even increase the circulation to your brain by trying out a few inverted yoga poses.
-
Improves immunity
Warm water with some honey and squeezed lemon stimulates the lymphatic system to flush out toxins which means a healthier immune system for you. Add some ginger and you’ve got yourself a tasty drink which is very immune-system friendly!
Shomaila is a fitness-loving, clean-eating, keyboard-stabbing bookworm. Being involved in a sedentary lifestyle, she enjoys releasing her frustration through exercise, especially Pilates, and sharing her thoughts via the interwebs.
Comments are closed.