The perfect morning routine can truly set us up for a successful day.
But not all of us have time to meditate, do a yoga class, take a cold shower or any of the other wellness rituals experts recommend.
Luckily, holistic nutritionist Kayla Varney has revealed a healthy habit that she says changed her life — and it’s something that literally anyone can do.
In a TikTok video, she recommends “drinking a full mason jar of water first thing in the morning every single day.”
This is a particular useful habit for the many people who tend to forget to hydrate. Studies show 75% of Americans are dehydrated, drinking an average of only 2.5 cups per day, when the recommended amount is 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women.
“If you’re like me and you are so bad about drinking water throughout the day, making sure you get in a full liter first thing in the morning — before coffee, before breakfast — is an absolute game changer,” she said.
Varney has noticed four things happen when she skips this step at sunrise.
Firstly, she never ends up drinking “as much water, obviously.” There are four cups in a 32-ounce mason jar — so while it by no means fulfills your daily quota, it’s a great place to start, especially if you think you won’t be doing much hydrating later on.
Secondly, she winds up with a headache in the evening. That’s probably because dehydration makes your brain shrink and pull away from your skull, placing painful pressure on your nerves.
Dehydration also constricts the brain’s blood vessels, reducing the flow of blood and oxygen, and it can cause an electrolyte imbalance, which disrupts the nervous system.
The third thing Varney notices is that her skin “immediately” breaks out.
“I have really, really dry, sensitive skin and when I am not hydrated, my skin freaks out,” she said.
When your skin is dehydrated, it can feel tight and dry, causing your body to produce excess oil in response, which can result in more clogged pores and acne.
Dehydrated skin can also look tired and dull because the lack of moisture in your outermost layer makes the skin cells thicken instead of shedding like they’re supposed to.
With all of these downsides, it’s no wonder that the fourth thing Varney notices when she doesn’t drink her morning mason jar of water is that she just doesn’t “feel right.”
“It is so important to keep your body hydrated,” she said. “Starting your day off with water first thing is not only taking care of your body but setting yourself up for immediate success.”
