Losing a few pounds or simply keeping in shape is often not only a question of strict dieting and working out as often as we can find the time for it. A healthy attitude towards food, moderation and a few easy tricks that all of us can do also come extremely in handy in our never-ending struggle against the extra pounds. Drinking a glass of water before breakfast is one of those tricks, experts tell us.

The importance and many benefits water has on our body can truly never be stressed enough. Hydration is key both in terms of our health and the appearance of our skin, so we should all start drinking more water throughout the day. Yet it can also help us lose weight, a new study comes to show, by accelerating the metabolism and helping our body “wash” the fat away more easily.

The study included premenopausal overweight women who started drinking water before breakfast in increasing quantities. The more water they drank, the more their weight loss efforts were sustained, results have shown. The conclusion can only be one: a glass of water (approximately eight ounces) in the morning before breakfast, coffee or tea is just what the doctor recommends for excellent health and a slim figure.

“After sleeping for seven to eight hours your body needs water as well as food – being slightly dehydrated can actually slow down your metabolism. Before downing your latte, green tea, or juice, have a glass of water because […] well-hydrated cells not only work better, but they help you flush out fat.” FitSugar also recommends, based on the findings of the latest study.

Nevertheless, if losing weight is not on our radar right now, water also has countless other benefits. For starters, it keeps the skin on the face well hydrated, thus protecting it from the winter cold and the harsh spring winds. Since the skin is made of 70% water, beauticians recommend about 8 glasses a day for a glowing, healthy and irresistible countenance, the kind no cream – no matter how expensive – can get.