Most people do not drink enough water. It is something that is frequently overlooked but is essential to our well-being. On average, most people drink much less water than their bodies require. Unfortunately, many people are in a constant state of dehydration.

Water and Body Function

Our bodies are composed of approximately 60% water. It is necessary to all of our bodily functions. Water helps to control our body temperature, digest our food and move waste out of our bodies. Water cleans our system. The more water we drink, the more our kidneys can flush out toxins and impurities through our urine. Since our bodies are made up of over 1/2 water, it makes sense that we need to keep replenishing it for our bodies to function properly.

We don’t always feel the sensation of thirst, so we need to make a conscious effort to drink pure, fresh water throughout our day. Not feeling thirsty doesn’t mean that your body doesn’t need water. As we age, our sensation of thirst diminishes, that’s why we need to make sure that we remember our water.

Something I Heard

I heard one time that it is good to drink a full glass of water as one of the first things a person does when they get up in the morning. Whether it’s totally true or not, I heard that it helps “prime the pump” so to speak. Anyway, I’ve tried to take that on, and whether it “primes the pump” or not, it definitely is a good habit. I like to drink a 16 ounce glass of pure, plain water before I drink or eat anything else. I think it gets my day off to a better start of remembering to drink my water.

I’ve heard that it is a good practice to drink 1/2 of our body weight in ounces of water every day. More water is needed if we are sweating a lot because of physical activity or being in the heat or sun. Also, caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, so always make sure to additionally hydrate with pure water when drinking these.

Water is the Preferred Beverage

Even though we drink other liquids throughout our day, they are not substitutes and do not replace our need for pure, fresh water. Because water performs very essential tasks in our bodies, it is very important for us to drink the amount our bodies need to feel our best. When we are hydrated, we feel healthier.

Something interesting to note, is that by not giving our body enough water, it holds onto water so it won’t run out. By not giving our body the water it needs, it can’t relieve fluid retention or efficiently flush toxins out from our kidneys. A simple cure for this is to drink water – hydrate, hydrate!

The truth is that when we are hydrated, we feel better. Water should be the first beverage we go to and not sodas, coffee or tea to fulfill our recommended amount of fluid intake needs. If we don’t meet the needs for water in our bodies, we will not perform at our highest potential.

Suggestions to Help Us Drink More Water

Because some people have trouble drinking the amount of water they need to hydrate their bodies, here are a few little tips and suggestions. Sometime little additions can help make our water more enjoyable so it will be easier for us to drink what our bodies need.

Some ideas are:

• a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime or orange to our water
• refrigerate a quart of water with slices of cucumber
• fresh herbs like mint or lemon verbena are a tasty addition (bruised to help release flavor)
• the addition of a little splash of juice, either unsweetened or sweetened
• refrigerate a quart of water with a mix of citrus slices – like lemon, lime and orange, to drink throughout the day

A little variation can help us enjoy drinking our water. Water that is enhanced with fruit slices or herbs, in addition to fresh, pure water, can keep things interesting and encourage us to drink more. The goal is to increase our water consumption and make it a healthy habit that we will actually enjoy and desire.