So many of us are used to starting the day with a cup of Joe, but is it really good for us? More and more people are starting their day with a glass of water instead. Why?
When we wake up in the morning, we are dehydrated from not drinking all night. Our bodies are made up of 65–73 percent water, and we need to replenish it regularly. Water facilitates digestion, production of saliva and digestive juices, absorption, circulation, transport of nutrients and chemical transmitters, maintenance of body temperature, and flushing out toxins accumulated overnight.
Coffee is a diuretic which stimulates our bodies to produce more urine. This in turn causes our kidneys to secrete more sodium into the urine. Water follows sodium in the body, so more water is lost in the urine, leading to further dehydration. This diuretic effect can prevent the absorption of certain critical minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
When you wake up, your body is in elimination mode. Water intake kickstarts your elimination mechanism and helps to energize and prepare you for the day.
Coffee is highly acidic and can irritate your stomach lining. Coffee tends to stimulate our stomachs to make more hydrochloric acid. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach magnifies this stimulating effect.
The above scans show two MRIs of the human brain, before and after drinking coffee. One cup of coffee reduced blood flow to the brain by about 40 percent. Why? Caffeine blocks adenosine which helps to regulate blood flow to the brain.
After a dose of caffeine, the blood vessels constrict, resulting in less blood flow to the brain.
Drinking water, on the other hand, thins your blood and increases blood flow to your brain. Headaches are often caused by dehydration and vascular congestion in the brain. Increasing your water intake can prevent and even help to treat headaches.
One of the most common causes of lethargy in the morning is dehydration. Drinking water in the morning can combat lethargy and increase your metabolism.
Water is quickly becoming the morning drink of champions. I suggest that you try drinking 12–32 oz. of room temperature water first thing in the morning.
Q. HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK EACH DAY, BEFORE FACTORING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY?
A. HALF YOUR BODY WEIGHT (LBS) IN OZS OF WATER.