Tip #5 -- Increase Your Water Intake

Water is a vital component to life. No living being can survive without a fresh supply of pure water each and every day. If you do not consume enough water each day, your body will age faster, appear fatter, be more susceptible to germs, illness and stress, lose joint mobility, and much more. Do you often feel tired, run down or confused? Even mild dehydration can cause hazy short-term memory, difficulty concentrating and staying focused, and daytime fatigue. In fact, it’s estimated that 75% of Americans have mild, but chronic dehydration, which is one of the most frequent and common causes of daytime fatigue. Most people who weigh less than 150 pounds require no less than 8-10 cups per day; those who weigh 150 pounds or more require 10-16 cups per day. You’ve heard this before, but now it’s time to implement what you know. Try starting small, add an extra glass of water with breakfast each morning this week. Next week add an extra glass with lunch.

Good, Good, Good, Good Hydration!

Sing it to the tune of Good Vibrations!  Are you drinking enough water?  Probably not . . . 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

Some Interesting Facts about Dehydration:

• Even mild dehydration will slow your metabolism by as much as 3%.
• One glass of water made midnight hunger pangs cease for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
• Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and bladder cancer by 50%. 
  

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?  I know we haven’t been. I’ve been waking up in the morning with my mouth all dry and my skin is so parched it makes me think of the old Lubriderm, “See you later, Alligator” commercial.  My husband likes to drink everything but water, and our eighteen month old throws sippy cups of water on the floor and demands juice or soda instead.

So this week, we are recommitting ourselves to getting and staying hydrated!  We challenge you to do the same!

What we’ll be drinking:

• Water, Water, and More Water!
• We’re shooting for five 16.9 ounce bottles each day!

What we won’t be drinking:

• Caffeinated Beverages – Caffeine is a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration.
• Alcohol – It’s also a diuretic.