Water is the best thing that you can drink. In fact, you can never get enough of it, and there are no limitations on how much you should drink as long as you are healthy.
Water, which makes up about 60 percent of the average person’s body composition, is vital in sustaining normal body functions and overall health. It aids in digestion, blood production, and breathing. It also helps solid waste move through your intestines. Without water in your body, you would poison yourself. It lubricates your joints, keeping you limber. And water helps regulate your body temperature. When you work out or are really hot, you naturally start sweating to cool down. That sweat comes from the water in your body.
The jury is still out on the best water to drink, because there are so many kinds available. Many health experts recommend that you drink bottled water from the purest sources, high mountain ranges far from urban areas, glacial waters, and the deep artesian wells of Fiji. As far as I’m concerned, just drink any kind of water and as much as possible— regardless of the brand! When it comes to tap water, I recommend that you boil it first (because of the chemicals in it), let it cool, and then put it in plastic bottles. If you’re concerned about the potential toxicity of your tap water, you can contact the Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 for the scoop on what’s coming out of your faucet.
So how much water do you need to drink? Well, I know you’ve heard at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day—but do you really get that? Try not to include any other kind of liquid. Juices, coffees, teas, sodas, and beer do not count. These drinks max contain sugar, chemicals, caffeine, and alcohol, and some of them dehydrate you. Did you know that a good portion of the population is living in a state of partial dehydration?
If you are used to drinking everything but water, start carrying a bottle with you. It’s not only a trendy thing to do—it’s a necessary thing to do! Leave big bottles in the car and keep a bottle next to your bed. Get in the habit of drinking water with your meal. A glass of water before you eat can make you feel a little full and help you cut down on overeating.
Drinking water cleanses the inside of your body. And wait until you see what it does for your skin! Don’t be surprised when you start having fewer breakouts.
When you exercise, you must pay attention to your water needs. A workout in warm weather could drain as much as 7 quarts of water from your body. This is why you should drink water before, during, and after exercise.
You can be creative with your water. Freeze some lemon juice in an ice cube tray and drop one cube into a big glass of water. It gives you just a bit of flavor and a bit of fun. Buy yourself a really beautiful or silly glass. If it’s unique and you know it’s special, it may get you to drink a few extra glasses. I know this works for me.
Drink sodas in moderation because they’re filled either with sugar or chemicals. If I have not had enough water during the day, I don’t feel that I’ve earned a soda.
Juice is a good choice, because it gives you additional vitamins and minerals. But it also gives you a lot of extra calories, which is why I only drink it sparingly. One day my twin boys taught me a neat trick at the kitchen table: they were playing with cups of water and diluting it with their juice. Of course I had to taste-test it before they’d let me out the door—and it was great. You still get the taste of juice, but with hall the calories!
Another trick is that I’m never without a case of water in my car. Since I’m on the road a lot going to train clients, I play a game with myself. I have to drink one whole bottle before I reach my destination.
To start tipping your water intake, begin your day with a glass of water. I lave another glass before breakfast and, whenever possible, drink it at school. Have a glass before your snack alter school, another glass before dinner, a glass during dinner, and a glass while you’re watching television. That’s at least 7 glasses right there. And of course, as I already said, you’ll be drinking water before, during, and after you exercise.
Remember, think to drink. And if you can’t remember, do what my one friend’s fifteen-year-old daughter does: she writes WATER on the palm of each hand.
