Your mind and body work together, seamlessly to carry out all the processes that keep you moving through the day. Your mental health and your physical health go hand-in-hand so it’s important to give your body what it needs to function at its best. Water plays a central role in flushing toxins from the body and keeping everything running smoothly. Unfortunately, many people walk around in a dehydrated state without even realizing it. For these reasons, it’s a good idea to incorporate a water detox regimen into your daily routine.
The Damaging Effects of Toxins
Anything that can harm the body is considered a toxin. This includes high stress levels, environmental toxins, and even lifestyle habits, such as smoking and poor diet. Your body can store up toxins for years without producing any noticeable symptoms. When toxin build-up reaches a certain point, you’ll likely experience tell-tale symptoms, such as:
- Low energy or fatigue
- Poor concentration and focus
- Headaches
- Moodiness
Your body actually has its own natural detoxification system. Your lungs, liver, and kidneys all work together to keep wastes and toxic materials moving through and out of the body. The only catch is once your body’s already overloaded with toxins, your detox processes become overwhelmed to the point the body can no longer clear out waste as it should. A water detox can help get things working as they should.
Water - The Natural Detoxifier
The human body is 60 percent water and needs this precious fluid to function at its best. Water not only flushes wastes and toxins out of the body but also carries nutrients to cells and tissues. One particular system that relies heavily on water to flush out wastes is the kidney system.
The kidneys act as one of the body’s primary filtration systems, removing waste from the blood, receiving toxins from the liver, and excreting harmful materials through the bladder. Without ample amounts of water, the kidneys can’t work efficiently, which can lead to toxin build-up. Ultimately, the benefits of drinking water affect almost every aspect of your physical and mental health.
How a Water Detox Boosts Mind and Body Health
Keeps the Body’s Systems Running Smoothly
That 60 percent of water content in your body helps carry out many essential functions, including:
- Blood circulation
- Digestion
- Regulates body temperature
- Creates saliva for breaking down food
- Creates sweat to ventilate or cool down the body
With a water detox, you’re not only cleaning out your system but also providing your body with what it needs to be at its best. For instance, ample water levels help ward off muscle fatigue, which happens when fluid imbalances form in muscle cells. Keeping the skin smooth and supple is yet another health benefit of drinking water. And last but not least, adequate hydration promotes healthy bowel functioning since water helps move waste materials out of the colon.
Promotes Good Mental Health
The brain uses large amounts of energy to regulate and coordinate all the body’s functions. Your brain cells act as little processors sending information to each other and also to other cells in the body. Water is needed to make the energy that fuels the brain. Unlike other areas of the body, the brain can’t store water so it relies on available water supplies. Not surprisingly, healthy brain functioning is one of the benefits of drinking water. A water detox can boost your mental clarity, emotional well-being, and also enhance your creativity.
Helps Keep the Calories Off
All the things that help the body lose weight, such as a faster metabolism rate, a smaller appetite, and healthy digestion can be set in motion by drinking ample amounts of water throughout the day. This health benefit of drinking water can be especially useful if you’re trying to drop pounds through diet and exercise. One particularly helpful tip is to drink a glass of water before each meal. Doing so helps your digestion along, speeds up your metabolism, and also helps decrease your appetite.
Water Keeps the Heart Healthy
Your heart has to work that much harder when your body stays in a dehydrated state. Over time, any number of problems can develop, including frequent headaches, swollen feet, and even heat stroke. Heart-related benefits of drinking water stem from how water affects blood flow.
The body’s water content determines blood volume or how much blood is in your circulatory system. When blood volume runs low, the heart has to work harder to move blood through the body, which raises your blood pressure. Low blood volume also leads to salt buildup, making the blood thicker and harder to move through the body. Keeping your body properly hydrated takes unneeded strain off your heart while helping the blood deliver oxygen and nutrients in an efficient manner.
All-in-all, incorporating a water detox into your daily routine is one of the best things you can do for your health. The body can’t survive more than seven days without water, which speaks to how essential this element is. So drink lots of water. Your mind and your body will thank you.
Author Bio
Written By Patrick Bailey, a lifelong health advocate and Mitten resident. He can be reached on Twitter at @pat_bailey80.
Sources:
- Tufts University, “Do You Really Need to ‘Detox’?”
https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/healthy-eating/weight-mgmt/do-you-really-need-to-detox - PNAS Journal, “Appraising the Brain’s Energy Budget”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC124895/ - American Health Association, “Staying Hydrated - Staying Healthy”
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/staying-hydrated-staying-healthy - Sunshine Behavioral Health, “What Happens During & Detox”
https://www.sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/detox/what-happens-to-body-during-detox/
