Here’s What Happened When I Started Drinking 8 Cups Of Water A Day

Picture Napoleon Dynamite coming in sweating from his “dance practice” and then chugging his Gatorade. That might be the majority of Americans after coming in from their dopamine dose at the gym. And while sports drinks do contain lots of electrolytes and can help with quick hydration, nothing can replace good old H2O. We weren’t biologically designed to just chug Gatorade and Bodyarmor. (Although, who doesn’t love that stuff, especially the Tropical Fruit Punch?)

Have you ever tried raising a plant (most embarrassing when it’s a succulent) and then accidentally killed it from water deprivation? Water necessity is something all three of the living food chain categories have in common. Most of us are hardly ever getting enough water, and I have been in that group for periods on and off. You can blame the busyness of life, but that busyness never dies down, so you might as well keep yourself equipped to handle it well! Just as with the benefits of consuming enough protein in your diet, drinking enough water cannot be ignored unless you want to get sick more often, get hurt more easily, look older, and die younger. It’s scary and pretty amazing at the same time to learn how such a simple act, like drinking a glass of water, could affect so much in the body.

What the Experts Say

Experts say that hydration needs vary among adults due to differences in physical size and activity levels. Harvard medical studies say women should drink approximately 11.5 cups, which seems like quite a lot for the average girl. The general estimate recommended that is more popular is dividing your body weight in half and drinking that many ounces per day. For example, if a woman weighed 140 lbs., it would be advised that she drink around 70 ounces of water per day. Obviously, if she were a competitive athlete or someone who worked a lot outside, a higher intake would be necessary.

I’ve had ups and downs in my relationship with hydration. But I can confidently say that I noticed significant differences when I drank enough, as well as when I didn’t. I decided to challenge myself to drink the “8 cups of water a day,” because that seemed like an attainable goal and one recommended by countless medical experts. I divided the drinking to 3-4 cups before lunch and 4-5 cups in the second half of the day. Here’s what I found happened to my body during my 8-cups-of-water-a-day challenge. 

My Hair Was Less Greasy

I have fine hair that usually gets very greasy quickly, often every day. If I went a few days without washing my hair, it would look like I just took a shower, especially in the summer humidity. I used to blame it on genetics, but I was surprised during my water challenge. 

Interestingly, I noticed my hair didn’t get as greasy or as quickly as before, when I was chronically dehydrated the month before this water challenge. This was unexpected but makes complete sense; if your body is dehydrated, your bodily fluids will become more condensed and not flush out properly. However the hair follicle physiology works out, I’m just glad to know there’s a way to prevent my hair from looking disgusting without washing it every day!

My Skin Improved

I definitely noticed my skin health improved when I was consistent with proper hydration. When I was dehydrated, my skin was dry and flaky, didn’t have any type of glow or good coloring, and even looked puffy and saggy. And it would also break out more often with oily pimples (due to the body oils not being flushed out properly). Your skin is the largest filter organ in your body and is also about 60% water itself, so it really does need sufficient water to help it flush out the bad stuff and keep regenerating itself to look pretty!

My skin would also become inflamed and break out more quickly after eating sugar when I was dehydrated. This was a noticeable difference from when I was drinking enough – small amounts of sugar wouldn’t bother my skin as much since the water diluted it and flushed it out of my system more quickly. 

My Digestion Was Better

When I consistently drank enough – the full eight cups – I would have better trips to the bathroom and digested my food much better than when I skipped out on water. When I forgot to drink enough water, I would feel bloated and swollen and would easily get constipated more often. 

After starting this water challenge, I noticed a huge difference in my core’s bloating within the first two days. Drinking enough water, combined with taking my magnesium at night, radically helped debloat my stomach and flush out congested gunk or extra fiber that was stopping me up. This natural detoxification also helped my liver as well, which is the organ most closely linked to the skin and often manifests its health on the facial skin. Your skin needs water to thrive! And, no, coffee doesn’t count.

I Had More Mental Energy

For sure, I felt more focused and lighter mentally with more brain energy to get things done more quickly. The one day I wasn’t good about drinking the full eight cups of water, I really noticed, and besides feeling swollen and bloated, I also felt foggy-brained and even a little dizzy. I was mumbling and not enunciating properly multiple times throughout the day. I also would ramble more often, whether talking or leaving messages on the phone. Interestingly, this is all due to the fact that dehydration can cause low blood pressure (dizziness, spaciness), so hydration helps stabilize blood pressure as well as natural electrolyte balance in the body. Plus, your brain is 75% water – imagine your brain cells trying to work well when they’re even a tiny bit shriveled up!

I even noticed I was more patient when I stayed hydrated. Maybe this is because when you get dehydrated, you feel hungry more quickly, and your blood sugar can drop. This can easily make you become “hangry.” Dehydration increases your hunger hormone, ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and promotes fat storage. It also raises your cortisol levels, which increases your stress levels and makes you feel more wired and tense. 

I Snacked Less

When properly hydrated, it was easier for me to say “no” to snack cravings, and I didn’t think about snacking as much as when I was dehydrated. Often when you’re wanting a snack, your body is actually just thirsty, especially if you’re craving something sweet or salty. Because when your body gets dehydrated, its natural electrolyte (minerals) and sodium levels can get too low, which is called hypotonic dehydration, which can cause you to crave salty foods.

Water is a natural appetite suppressant. I always notice I eat more on the days I don’t drink as regularly. Even if I catch up on water later in the day, I am still hungrier and have more snack cravings for the first half of the day. When I drink between and before my meals, I am able to digest my food well and I feel satisfied and full in a normal time, versus sometimes when I’m dehydrated, I feel like I need a big second helping and the “full” feeling kicks in much later. It makes sense that weight management is 1000% easier when maintaining good water intake. 

I Felt Lighter

Last but definitely not least, one thing I’ve always noticed with my body when I get dehydrated is that I feel sluggish and somewhat swollen. When I consistently drink enough, my limbs feel lighter and my stomach feels clearer (because trips to the bathroom are a breeze). It’s also much easier to work out and do it well. I have better willpower to push myself and don’t get dizzy, like I would when I was dehydrated.

Drinking sufficient water helps the body be able to flush out toxins and hydrate the muscles and tissues properly. Your skeletal bones and muscles would greatly suffer if they consistently received less water than they need to work right. Studies show us that muscle mass is approximately 75% water, and total body water counts for about 45-75% of your body weight. Your organs need water to efficiently send messages to the rest of the body, produce hormones, and flush out toxins and waste. Oxygen is also carried via water molecules through your bloodstream, so you’re providing your cells with more oxygen and energy! 

Closing Thoughts 

Don’t stress over a cup missed here and there, but also don’t allow yourself permission for forgetfulness and bad habits to creep into your everyday life. If you're not a huge fan of water on its own, romanticize this habit by adding lemon, mint, berries, or other fresh fruit and herbs to your Stanley, or drink your water out of a fancy wine glass for aesthetics.

At the end of the day, dehydration can literally cause disease symptoms, and with it being such a simple thing to prevent, why wouldn't you choose to take care of yourself while reaping beauty benefits at the same time?

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