This Woman Drank Over One Gallon Of Water, Every Day, For Two Weeks, And The Results Have Left Us Shooketh

We’ve all heard that drinking about eight glasses of water per day is the not-so-secret secret to A+ health. But could those eight glasses not be enough? To find out, one woman drank an entire gallon of water, every day, for two weeks — and the health benefits she experienced were pretty astounding.

Olivia Charles was studying to become a nurse when she realized she wasn’t practicing what she was preaching. While Charles was learning to teach others the ins and outs of a healthy lifestyle, she was struggling with high blood pressure. And during college, she put on more weight than she bargained for.

So, Charles decided to change her lifestyle. She challenged herself to drink a gallon of water every day for two weeks. She also worked on upping her exercise routine and bettering her diet.

Since setting this goal three years ago, Charles has maintained her gallon-per-day intake and has lost a total of 35 pounds.

“I still keep up with my goal of drinking a gallon of water every day,” Charles told Delish on August 19th. “Honestly, being hydrated just makes me feel better. Plus, drinking so much water prevents me from drinking anything super-sugary — I rarely have soda or juice cravings anymore.”

Charles’ diet consists of protein bars and coffee for breakfast; chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli for lunch; and steamed veggies with chicken, tuna, or deli meat for dinner. She keeps her caloric intake at around 1,500 each day, and although she doesn’t count calories, Charles keeps a food journal.

“Once I started getting into the habit of food journaling,” Charles said, “I became so much more mindful and conscious of what I was eating.”

According to an article from UCDavis.edu, your brain functions so much better when you drink the recommended amount of water. You’ll be able to think faster, focus more, and experience clarity and creativity when hydrated.

Despite the whole “eight glasses of water” factoid, the amount of water one needs to consume daily to stay hydrated depends on gender, age, weight, and activity level. But like Charles, upping your H2O intake can positively impact your lifestyle and make you feel so much better.

We’d also like to note that drinking more water wasn’t the only change Charles made to her daily routine. She also transformed her diet and began exercising more. In other words, many different factors go into a healthy lifestyle, and drinking more water won’t automatically make you healthier. If you want to improve your health, you should speak to your doctor about bettering all areas of your lifestyle.

To give you an idea of how much water you should be drinking, check out CamelBak’s Hydration Calculator.