Do you drink Water?

I am always amazed that there are so many people around me who don't drink water. EVER. Really? It's so hard to believe, especially since I drink so much of it... Sure, I make myself a smoothie in the morning and I'll have the odd cup of tea or coffee but water is usually my drink of choice.

I'm not sure how much water I drink in a day but I usually have a glass in the morning, a couple more while I'm at work, another at dinner and then one or two more in the evening. Based on the quantities/size of the glasses, I think I'm probably taking in around 8-10 cups of water per day. Then there's the added water from the foods that I eat too...

According to About.com, "the body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. You need water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to your organs and tissues. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs." (About.com)

There are several known symptoms of mild dehydration:

• chronic pain in joints and muscles
• lower back pain
• headaches
• constipation
• tiredness
• irregular blood pressure
• dry skin

Not surprisingly, people who don't drink a lot of water (or who drink a lot of coffee or soda) tend to have a lot of these complaints; especially the headaches and the tiredness. I know that when I feel a headache coming on (which is rare) it's likely due to me not drinking enough water. This usually happens if I'm out and about and forgot to bring some water along with me.

According to the 'experts' you need water even before you start feeling thirsty. But how much does a person really need? One easy calculation that I found showed that if I divided my weight in half (160/2) the resulting number would signify the number of ounces I should be drinking. In my case, that's 80 ounces, or 10 cups of water (don't forget that this would include water in the foods that I eat, like fruits, vegetables, etc.).

Would you drink more water if you knew some of the benefits that come with drinking water? Here's just a few good reasons to pour yourself a nice cold glass of water right now:

• weight loss- drinking water reduces hunger, is an appetite suppressant, has zero calories, and helps break down fat during digestion
• natural remedy for headache - dehydration is the most common reason for headaches
• look younger - water leads to healthier skin, helps replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity
• water helps you think better, be more alert and helps with concentration
• regulates body temperature - when exercising it increases energy and helps to fuel muscles
• water raises metabolism because its role in digestion
• fiber and water go hand in hand - water helps with regular bowel movements
• water improves the immune system which means you'll get sick less often
• water relieves fatigue and flushes out toxins - if body lacks water the organs need to work harder which exhausts them and you'll be exhausted too.

You know what's the BEST reason is for drinking a little more water though? It's free (and local too)!!

Non-water drinkers (you know who you all are) always say that they just don't like the taste of water. They're also the same people who are more likely to buy those yucky flavored waters, vitamin waters, etc.. Although I love my water plain I sometimes add flavour to it by adding cucumber slices or wedges of lemon or orange to spice it up a little. If you've been trying to drink more water perhaps flavour them this way (naturally) and then get yourself to the point where you actually start craving a glass of water with ice. Mmmmm...water....I think I'm going to get myself a glass right now!