Despite the dipping temperatures, upping your hydration with regular glasses of water is one of those healthy habits that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Drinking water, after all, does so much good for your body, mind and soul, particularly at this time of year when seasonal nasties leave you more susceptible to colds, flu, and other illnesses.

Drinking more water doesn’t just boost immunity in the short term, it preserves long term health and wellbeing. In addition to this, drinking more water has been connected to better skin health and hair loss prevention. We could spend all day sharing the huge benefits that go hand-in-hand with drinking water.

Drinking water at the right time is the key to unlocking the many advantages of a water-rich diet for yourself. Drinking at regular intervals throughout the day is the most beneficial way to increase your water intake, and those regular water drinking sessions should begin as soon as you wake up.

Here we take a closer look at why you should always start the day with a glass of water.

Kick start healthy digestion

After a long night’s rest, your body will need a little help to get things going once more. After six hours or more without food and drink, your digestive system will no doubt be needing a boost, but don’t rush down to prepare breakfast just yet.

Drinking water first thing in the morning is just what you need to prepare your body, and more specifically your digestive system, for action. Water actively cleanses the colon and as a result, more nutrients can be absorbed from your hearty breakfast.

Your kidneys also receive a little boost from early morning water intake, and long term, increasing how much water you drink has been proven to boost kidney health.

Constipation is less likely with regular water intake throughout the morning and right through the day too. Constipation is a symptom of dehydration; by hydrating your body as soon as you wake up, you can keep constipation at bay.

Rehydrate from within

Cell renewal is an essential part of the skin’s function. As the largest organ in the body, your skin has a lot of work to do to replace damaged cells with new ones, but there is something you can do to help.

Drinking plenty of water, especially first thing in the morning, encourages cell renewal. This means your body benefits from a dose of healthy, new cells to increase oxygen flow, and ultimately enhance your energy and vitality.

Maintain a healthy weight

Your metabolism is directly linked to your weight. This natural process is charged with providing you with all the energy your cells require and use the food you eat to fulfil this role.

People have different metabolic rates, and those with higher metabolisms are less efficient at storing energy within the body and less likely to be overweight as a result.

If you have a low metabolism or simply want to improve weight management, drinking a glass of water each morning is beneficial.

Drinking water can boost your metabolism by almost one quarter to help you maintain a healthy weight.

Drinking more water also leaves you feeling fuller, which can make you less likely to overindulge at breakfast and throughout the day.

Boost your brainpower

It’s not just your body that will feel the effects of early morning hydration. Your mind will reap the rewards of a water-rich diet, which should come as no surprise considering your brain is 85% water.

We’ll let Step to Health explain more about how your brain can benefit from better hydration in the morning:

“You’ve spent 7 to 9 hours sleeping. But just because you haven’t sweated doesn’t mean you haven’t lost water. With each deep breath, you lose moisture.

Over time, your brain ends up dehydrated in the morning. You can keep your brain at optimum capacity if you just drink a glass of water and eat delicious fruit for breakfast.”

In addition to this, drinking water improves concentration, boosts mood, increases memory, and promotes better sleep as the day draws to a close.