Probably the biggest change a young person experiences at the end of their teenage years is the start of their student life. The majority of new habits every freshman experiences relates to diet and the eating routine, especially when you have to leave your parents’ home and start living on your own. As a crucial part of every diet, water has to be treated with special care during this period, since proper hydration can be a great enhancer of various student activities.
How Often, How Much?
An adult person should take on average about 2 liters of water per day. However, if you are under a lot of stress or you live in harsh climate conditions, this amount can vary. For instance, a student that works out on a regular basis or lives in a warmer climate should drink between 2 and 3 or even up to 4 liters a day.
When it comes to the relation between water and food, Mayo Clinic’s doctor Picco claims that drinking water during and after meals improves digestion by breaking down the food we intake and improving the absorption of nutrients. Finally, it’s recommended to start your day with a glass of tepid water mixed with a few drops of lemon juice, to wake up the body and bring it into the working mode.
Tap or Bottled Water?
The main difference between these two types of water is the level of minerals. The former is usually more neutral, mineral-wise. The latter, on the other hand, contains more minerals, which can be a helpful feature for students under pressure.
If you feel that the tap water you drink causes unease in your stomach, it would be smart to start purifying it, advise Australia’s retailers of reverse osmosis filter units. In that case, you can combine this filtered water with bottled mineral water in order to take the best of both worlds and not spend too much money on water packages.
Thirst-Quenching, Brain-Boosting Benefits
Keeping your brain fit is the most important task for every student. Needless to say, a well-groomed brain will be able to withstand all the mental and physical strain during the freshman year. Moreover, the habits developed at the beginning of your studies will be also present later in your student life.
Therefore, giving your body enough water is the crucial prerequisite of staying in good mental shape. According to a piece published by The Daily Mail, when your brain feels thirsty, your concentration decreases, causing lower productivity. As opposed to that, drinking a sufficient amount of water quenches thirst, boosts the brain performance and improves the studying efficiency.
Weight Balance
Apart from enhancing digestion and providing your brain with sufficient amount of oxygen, water dissolves and flushes fat from your body, which helps keeping weight under control. On the other hand, a combination of high salt intake and excessive water drinking can lead to an increased level of water in your organism, causing various health problems, such as high pressure. This is why students shouldn’t fall for junk and salty food, but eat more fish, vegetables and meat. In combination with regular workout and an adequate water intake, your weight will not be affected by a sedentary student lifestyle.
To conclude, when you start attending college, your life will change. In addition to the suitcases and the boxes with your belongings, you should also pack and bring some good old habits from your home. Eating healthy and hydrating your body are among the crucial ones, so stick with them and you will manage to preserve your healthy lifestyle.