Saturday, October 29, 2011

Drink yourself smarter


Can water make you smarter?  It can certainly help you to study better.  Since your brain is about 77 to 78% water, if you’re dehydrated, so is your brain.  This results in fatigue, headaches and an inability to concentrate, all of which will prevent you from studying effectively.  Therefore, you must make sure that you are always fully hydrated.  The easiest way to do this is by drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.  This will help to replace the water that you lose through urine and sweat.  If you live in a hot climate or if you exercise heavily, you will need to drink more than that to replace the extra fluid lost through increased sweating.

In addition to helping your brain function at maximum capacity, drinking sufficient water every day will help our overall health as 'water is essential for the body's growth and maintenance' (BBC Health).  All About Water lists 10 reasons why we should drink water.  Some of the reasons they mention are an increased metabolism, increased energy levels,a reduced risk of certain cancers, reduced joint and back pain, healthier skin, improved digestion and improved circulation.

As well as drinking water, you should also eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, as these have very high water content and contain essential nutrients.  For more about the importance of eating healthily and the affect on studying see the earlier article You are what you eat.  For more advice about studying and how to improve your ability to study effectively get the Super Fast Guide, StudySkills, How to be smarter instantly.  I'm off now for a glass of water!


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