The Importance of Drinking Water


I keep my skin flawless by drinking two liters of water a day.

 – Jessica Alba

Are you consuming enough water? The typical person goes through life in a state of dehydration without even knowing it. Those living in tropical climates fare worse than those living in colder climates.  The heat alone makes them lose more than ten cups of water a day simply by breathing, sweating and urinating.

Sadly, the average person believes soda, caffeinated tea, coffee, milk and fruit juice contribute to their daily water intake. Caffeine dehydrates the body, so how can soda, tea and coffee keep you hydrated? It’s mind boggling the things unwitting people believe. Tip: Don’t believe everything you read in the mainstream media. 

When training in the heat, you need to start your hydration about three hours before your workout. It takes a fair amount of time to muscularly hydrate.

– Chris McCormack (World Class Professional Triathlete)

For instance, the majority of people go about their daily lives in a fatigued stupor. What would they do if caffeine ceased to exist? Dehydration invites lethargy, exhaustion and brain fog. Therefore, in lieu of coffee first thing in the morning – reach for pure water. Drinking at least 500 ml (about 2 cups) of water in the morning increases mental alertness. Plus, as an added bonus, it also boosts metabolism. Berlin’s Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center traced metabolic rates among 14 healthy men and women. They discovered that all 14 subject’s metabolism increased by 30% within ten minutes of drinking water, and it lasted for about 30-40 minutes afterward. Furthermore, exercisers must take notice that muscle cells grow faster when they are properly hydrated not dehydrated and parched.

I have a simple, healthy life, which works miracles. I drink a lot of water, watch what I eat, and exercise.

– Cindy Crawford

Did you know you lose water while you sleep? Overnight, your body exerts water for breathing and sweating. Believe it or not, the average person gets rid of about 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of water in urine, sweat and respiration daily. You know how much weight that is? That is 2.2 kilograms (5 pounds) of weight fluctuation a day! For this reason, we need to replace the water that is lost.

A friend recently told me, “Vivien, we don’t need to drink a lot of water. Our bodies don’t need that much water every day. It’s all a lie from the $60 billion bottled water industry.” On one hand, my friend’s comment bears some truth. Water isn’t the only method in hydrating your body. Fruit and vegetables comprise of 97% water, so you can add fresh produce to your daily water intake. A person’s urine should be pale yellow or a straw-like color – NEVER dark. Athletes and active people evidently require more hydration than someone who sits around watching TV all day.

Moreover, our bodies consist of 70% water. A water loss of 1%-2% already musters up symptoms of dehydration. You will know when your body reaches a dehydrated state, primarily if you know the signs.

My beauty secret? I know people say water, water, water, but it’s true. Hydration is key.

– Kyra Sedgwick


  1. Your jeans feeling extra tight? Yes, weight gain and water retention are common signs!
  2. Wrinkles in your 20’s and early 30’s? Premature aging attacks those who refuse to hydrate.
  3. Tired and struggling to jump out of bed? Blame dehydration!
  4. Feeling light-headed after getting up too fast? Your body needs water.
  5. That pounding headache is a gift from Mr. Dehydration.
  6. Painful charley horses – lack of water means more muscle cramps.
  7. Look like an actor in a horror film? Sunken eyes means you’re in need of some H2O pronto.
  8. Spending little time in the bathroom? Passing little urine is one of the main signs of dehydration.
  9. Does your mouth feel dry and sticky? Drink more water!
  10. Keep lashing out at those around you? Moodiness and irritability hate water.
  11. Don’t remember where you placed your keys? Confusion and memory problems occur more frequently in dehydrated people.
  12. Struggling to stay alert? Can’t manage to concentrate for long periods of time? Your brain’s telling you to put that doughnut down and gulp down some water instead. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger.

I erroneously shunned drinking a lot of water during my childhood and teen years – preferring drinks like Kool-Aid, Lipton ice tea, Dr. Pepper, Starbucks coffee, and Capri-Sun. By the grace of God, I learned about the importance of water. Now I drink a minimum of 2 liters of water a day. Water, coconut water, fruits and vegetables nourish my whole existence. Whenever I sense myself getting moody, tired or making lackluster decisions, I quickly snap up a glass of water. I carry it everywhere I go, and believe me, it’s helped me feel and look much healthier.

Best of all, staying hydrated awards me with more natural energy. Therefore, I’m no longer paying for Starbucks founder Howard Schultz’s lavish holidays. Dehydration impinges on your way of life – affecting both your mental and physical well-being. It wrecks havoc on an athlete’s training session – affecting their overall mental and physical performance. Forget about working out hard at the gym – lack of hydration ends up butchering your exercise program. It leaves the athlete with little muscular strength, less stamina and reduced endurance. Not to mention decreased concentration and reaction time.

My most important beauty tip is drinking lots of water.

– Ashley Greene

I advocate drinking pure filtered water over tap water. U.S. tap water carries quite an array of contaminants, e.g. arsenic, aluminum (no wonder Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and learning disabilities are on the rise), fluoride (check out my article on the dangers of flouride), prescription drugs, and chlorine.

How about bottled water? 40% of bottled water companies use plain old tap water, so be vigilant and wary when you spot cheap water bottles at your local grocery store. Above all, stay away from “Vitamin” or flavored water unless of course you desire to consume toxic artificial colors, additives, high fructose corn syrup and sweeteners.

Dislike the taste of plain water? Try squeezing fresh lemon juice or better yet, drink sparkling water with lime juice.  Hate water and acidic fruits? Well, be prepared to spend a lot of money on coconut water and vegetable juices.

Precaution: Drinking an insane amount of water induces hyponatremia, which can lead to organ failure, seizures and even death. You’re your own doctor, so pay attention to your body. It’ll notify you when you’re thirsty. Remember a 1%-2% loss of water automatically activates your thirst mechanism. Some symptoms of hyponatremia include: vomiting, loss of appetite, convulsions, hallucinations, muscle spasms, and decreased consciousness.  Hyponatremia affects athletes the most, so they should drink coconut water or a pinch of sea salt in their water if they’re sweating inexhaustibly. 

Keep track of the color of your urine. Unless you’re taking vitamin B2 (riboflavin turns your urine a bright yellow color), your urine should be a very light colored yellow.  

Now without further ado, here are the benefits of drinking pure water and staying adequately hydrated.


  1. Lifts your mood. Your brain consists of 90%-95% water – once it falls below 85%, your mental well-being is affected. You require hydration to allow for tryptophan to move freely in the brain. The amino acid tryptophan produces the neurotransmitter serotonin, aka “The Happy Hormone.”
  2. Gives you shinier, thicker and healthier hair. Dehydration causes hair loss and dry hair. Your scalp’s cells need sufficient water for optimal hair growth.
  3. Beautiful seeing eyes. Water keeps your eyes in tip top shape by continuously lubricating and nourishing them. It also lets your eyes repel dirt and dust that might give infection.
  4. Water keeps you alive. A water shortage severely disturbs your electrolytes structure. According to Nobel Prize winner, Otto Warburg, “Without it your cells dry out and die.” Hydration keeps your pH body balance in check and transports nutrients and oxygen into cells.
  5. Prevents diseases and illnesses. Proper hydration decreases your chances of getting colon cancer by 45% and bladder cancer by 50%. It also helps with ADD, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.
  6. Kills gout and arthritis. Water dilutes and reduces the amount of uric acid present in the body. It also protects and moisturizes the joints.
  7. Younger looking skin. Water keeps your skin supple, increases elasticity and replenishes skin tissues. Wrinkles love dry skin! They look less visible on hydrated skin. Hydration also gives you a radiant complexion.
  8. Fights cellulite. Dimpled skin and underlying fat cells look less noticeable on plump hydrated skin.
  9. Helps eliminate water retention. Lack of proper water intake causes your body to hold onto water. Water assists your liver in converting fat into energy. This ultimately makes your kidneys suffer, which in turn makes your body hold onto old existing water.
  10. Makes you lose weight. Water elevates your metabolic rate, gives you natural energy and helps you burn calories.
  11. Relieves constipation. Drinking water flushes waste from the intestines – improving digestion. Tip: Drink water before and after meals – never during meals as it dilutes the digestive juices and leads to undigested food entering your system.
  12. Removes toxins from blood. Lymph requires water to exist. Without lymph, your white blood cells and immune cells struggle to fight diseases.

V xoxo

Supermodel David Gandy knows he must drink loads of water to look good.

8 comments on “The Importance of Drinking Water

  1. Anonymous says:

    I’m on furosimide which expels water what should I do too much water makes my heart work harder I had a heart operation

    • Vivien Veil says:

      I’m not a doctor, but what I do understand is that dehydration will make anyone feel worse. Since you’re taking such a strong diuretic, you’ll need to maintain the correct electrolyte balance (sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, phosphate and magnesium are all electrolytes).

      Perhaps drink coconut water as it contains electrolytes. Stay away from salt and use garlic, onions, and herbs to give your food flavour. Avoid water retention foods like bread and processed foods. Eat potassium rich foods like bananas. Make banana, celery (has natural sodium and won’t cause edema), coconut water & medjol date smoothies. And make sure you’re taking a magnesium supplement. Water is essential for survival, so avoiding it isn’t a great idea. Ask your doctor though as like I said, I’m not a qualified medical practitioner. You can always contact me via email for more questions –

  2. […] must drink at least 2 litres of water a day, not just swimmers.  However, in this case, it’s very important for swimmers to drink more […]

  3. […] Dehydration can make your skin and hair look unflattering.  Water triggers hair growth and makes your hair look full of life.  On the other hand, toxicity makes your body too acidic.  An overly acidic body can lead to hair loss, and H2O flushes those crazy “acid” critters out of your physique. […]

  4. […] “Caffeine is extremely bad for women because their hormonal systems are already very sensitive and it dries them out,” claims internationally-renowned holistic guru, Paul Chek.  Caffeine speeds up the rate of biological time, so you’re actually living more than 24 hours a day.  “You’re actually going to age very rapidly.  So caffeine for anyone who doesn’t want to age is a very bad idea,” claims Chek.  So, remember to guzzle lots and lots of water.  Water must be our new best friend. […]

  5. Nathanial says:

    I like the valuable info you provide on your articles.
    I will bookmark your blog and test once more right
    here regularly. I am slightly sure I will be informed plenty of new stuff
    proper here! Best of luck for the next!

  6. wartica says:

    Without this essential nutrient, as you stated, we would last only a few days before our bodies give out!

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