Water

Day 3

In this modern world of technology and new fangled this and that....the one thing that doctors, scientists and nutritionists all seem to agree on is......the healthiest thing you can do for your body is to drink water! Another example of simplest is the best? Quite likely!

Whether you like your water straight from the tap, bottled, flavored or carbonated.....the fact is that this zero calorie beverage with no fat or additives is one of the best things we can do for our health and our bodies. Sadly there are a lot of people who obviously didn't get the memo and don't even manage 8oz. of the stuff in the course of 24 hours.

When I was a kid, at breakfast you drank juice....lunch and supper was milk and anything in between was water. That being said....I think we were a pretty dehydrated nation as other than a quick drink from the water fountain after recess or a guzzle from the garden hose when you were playing outside, we really didn't drink a lot. We were likely healthier by far because we weren't technology obsessed couch potatoes, but many of our habits were far from body positive. As a kid at Girl Scout camp, I remember getting heat stroke because we were outside in 102 degree temps for five days with only an old water pump to grab a quick drink from. Our leaders were apparently not well versed on the need for hydration in kids or the damage that dehydration could do. It was the sickest I had ever been.

Now a days we know the importance of water in our bodies and the positive effects it brings about. It hydrates our hair and skin, flushes waste from our cells and is extremely helpful in weight loss. No longer is it expected that a 10 second drink from a water fountain is substantial for hydration. Even elementary kids are allowed to bring water bottles to school and drink as needed.

In my younger days, water was something I imbibed only with a pill or if I was REALLY thirsty and nothing else was available. The rest of the time....carbonated beverages were my friend. While I was thin and looked healthy....I am sure my cells told a different story. They were probably shriveled up and begging for some good old H2O. It wasn't until I was older that I began to learn the benefits of water. It was actually some friends kids that got me to thinking about and drinking water. Whenever they would come to eat at our house, regardless of what kind of soda or other drinks might be available to them.....they always chose water. For some reason this really hit me and I decided that might be a really healthy way to go. It was then that I did my little 2 week experiment. I drank nothing but water for 2 weeks and made myself drink at least 64oz. a day. At first it seemed like over kill and the side effect that I spent a lot of time running to the bathroom to pee didn't really seem like a positive. By the end of the two weeks though....I wasn't peeing as much because my body was adjusting and I found myself craving water above other drinks. I also just felt better all the way around. Likely it was my body not having to deal with all the artificial junk that had been in my previous beverages. Since that time.....water has been my friend. 

In truth...I don't always drink like I should.....but I do manage to get down at least 32 oz per day even on my worst days. I genuinely feel better when I drink water and the best part about water.....it is much cheaper (even if you buy bottled) than just about anything else you can drink. 

Here is what I know about water:
If you start drinking 64oz of water for one week.....you will lose weight. Granted it maybe water weight.....but it is a start.

Water has no taste and yet it is the most thirst quenching beverage out there.

Drinking water daily can improve your skin and your hair.

If you work or play in the sun and heat......hydration is imperative and water is the only true way to hydrate. Other beverages can actually cause you to dehydrate even more.

Drinking substantial water is a necessity in any kind of weight loss program and definitely in any workout program.

If you love massages.....it is very important to drink and rehydrate after a massage.

I know there are many other benefits to drinking this simple yet imperative elixir of life, but these are the ones I know first hand. In the next week...I plan on making some changes and one of them will be more water. It is a great way to start change by cleansing the body and hopefully if my body starts feeling better.....so will my mind. I will let you know how it goes.

So I raise my glass (of water) and say......Here's to a gloriously hydrated week!