Most people know that the recommended amount of water one should consume per day is 8 glasses.  Although recently another type of challenge has risen; to drink an entire gallon of water everyday for 30 days and record (i.e. take pictures) of the results. That’s right, an entire gallon, which would be equivalent to 16 cups of water per day! If you’re like me, you value the importance of drinking water, as it is shown to have many benefits. Although as an avid water drinker like myself , I feel  a gallon of water may be overkill. Or is it? Maybe 8 more cups a day would result in even more benefits?

According to Live-strong drinking a gallon of water a day is more than recommended, even though it is double the suggested intake (our bodies will just excrete the excess in the form of sweat and urine) for many beneficial reasons. One of the reasons is that in hot weather, it is required to drink more than the recommended amount of water to stay hydrated. According to Johns Hopkins University, how much you sweat does not indicate dehydration due to the fact that dry weather causes sweat to evaporate more quickly. Therefore, it may lead you to believe that you aren’t losing too much water, when in reality you may very well be. Another beneficial affect is healthy circulation and more elastic (firmer), skin. Live-strong also emphasizes that drinking such a great amount of water throughout exercising can help you stay in top physical form. In fact, according to the American Council on Exercise, you should be drinking 7 to 10 ounces of water, for every 20 minutes of working out. Not only that, but hydration before exercise is also key, as 17 to 20 ounces of water should be consumed 2 to 3 hours prior to exercising so your body is completely ready for whatever workout you do.

Lastly, in drinking such a great amount of water per day, you are assuring complete hydration, and canceling out any chance of becoming dehydrated. Although of course, drinking too much water, too quickly, can cause a condition known as water intoxication. Water intoxication, or hyponatremia, is extremely rare but mimics symptoms of a heat stroke (hot, headache, overall feeling badly, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting). Webmd describes the issue in ones sodium levels, as drinking too much water causes an imbalance and the liquid moves from your blood to inside of your cells which causes them to swell. This condition is deadly, as brain swelling is lethal.

So why not try drinking a gallon of water a day for 30 days (and no other types of drink, including coffee and juice etc.)  like these women did; who recorded each of their experiences on a blog called no excuse mom. In reading each log, most of the participants cravings stopped, and their skin cleared up immensely. Therefore in different results acne cleared, eczema effects went down, and dark circles were a thing of the past. Some even experienced some weight loss due to the fact that they stopped craving sweets and other fattening, junky foods. And all said that they had a lot more energy than normal. Who knew something as simple as drinking a gallon of water a day can have so many beneficial effects! Now drink up!