Since our bodies are composed of at least 60% water, drinking water is absolutely imperative to maintaining life and an overall healthier body. Water helps to flush out toxins, transport nutrients, boosts immune system, increases energy, and so much more.
The benefits of drinking water should be well ingrained into our lives. With that being said, did you know that sparkling water shares many of the great benefits of regular water?
Sparkling water, also known as carbonated water, is water infused with carbon dioxide. It has no additives or unhealthy ingredients, which is how it shares the same benefits as regular water.
From hydration to motion sickness, sparkling water has been proven to help. Another important area that sparkling water has shown success in, is weight loss.
If you are trying to shed a few pounds then check out the following tips on how sparkling water can help you lose weight:
Transition from Sodas
Research shows that children and adults consume roughly 10% of their daily caloric intake through drinking sugary soft drinks like soda. The consumption of these beverages has been directly linked to the rise of obesity in the United States. Additionally, the rate of diabetes and dental issues have also been on the rise due to the large amount of soda consumption.
Sodas provide very little nutritional benefits, if any. They’re empty calories that end up hurting the body more than helping. For those of you that consume sodas on a daily basis, it may be hard to cut them out.
One way to help ease your reduction of soda consumption is by switching to sparkling water. Although it might not taste as sweet as soda, sparkling water can still provide that bubbly, fuzzy liquid that you’ve grown accustomed too. And, if flavor is a big issue for you, you can look into adding fruits to your drinks.
Fills You Up
Water has been proven to be a safe and effective appetite suppressant. Studies show that consuming more water before meals can actually help you to eat less. Sparkling water is actually more filling than regular water due to the carbonation.
This is particularly beneficial if you are trying to use sparkling water as an appetite suppressant and/or to cut down the size of your meals.
Helps with Constipation
Constipation can actually impede the success of weight loss for many people. When we’re regularly constipated, it can cause many harmful side effects in the body like:
- Reabsorption of waste and toxins
- Overgrowth of bacteria
- Leaky gut
- Inflammation in the intestines
- Poor digestion
These side effects can prevent weight loss and even lead to weight gain. Sparkling water has been found to alleviate constipation and help you to be more regular. And if that wasn’t enough to win you over, regular bowel movements can actually make a difference in your daily weight by a pound or two.
Increases Metabolism
Consuming more water per day has been proven to increase your metabolism. Multiple studies have concluded that drinking water increases your resting metabolism and also lipid oxidation.
In other words, water consumption can help you to burn off more calories and burn off fat. This also includes the consumption of carbonated water as the carbonation will not impede any increase in your metabolism.
Decreases Water Retention
This sounds crazy, but regular consumption of water can actually help to prevent water retention. Sodas and sports drinks are known to cause water retention within the body. Research shows us that a high consumption of sodas and sports drinks can lead to unhealthy sodium levels, which leads to water retention and other health issues.
Additionally, sodas and other caffeinated beverages are naturally diuretic which can cause the body to release more fluids than it wants to. This leads to the body holding onto more fluids and an increase in water retention.
Switching to sparkling water will cut out caffeine and sodium, leading to a decrease in water retention and dropping weight.
Increases Physical Performance
There’s no getting around it, exercise is a must when trying to lose weight. You have to burn off more calories than you consume. One great way to accomplish this is through cardio exercises like running, walking or cycling.
Not only will cardio help to prevent health conditions like diabetes or heart disease, it’s been proven to help you lose weight. With that being said, water is crucial to this process.
During cardio exercise, we can actually become dehydrated if we don’t consume enough water before, during and after. Dehydration can lead to a lack of energy and a poor performance during our exercise, which can reduce the amount of calories we burn off and impede our weight loss efforts.
Drinking sparkling water before and after cardio workouts can help to fight off dehydration and go a long way toward improving your overall physical performance.
Which Sparkling Water to Choose
Buying sparkling water can be rather costly. If you consume 1-2 liters of sparkling water per day, then you could be shelling out some serious cash per month. If you are on a tight budget, or just don’t feel like spending that much money on sparkling water, then check out the SodaStream Jet Sparkling Water Maker.
That’s right, you can make your own sparkling water in the comforts of your own kitchen and cut out the middleman.
With this sparkling water starter kit, you can turn regular water into sparkling water. You can also add flavors and create a variety of sparkling water tastes.
Adjust the fizz and flavor, save money, and have access to sparkling water every day with SodaStream.
