Tip of the Day- Drink an Extra Glass of Water

by Alison Palmer | More from this Blogger

21 Jan 2007 03:20 PM

Well, go on. Do it right now before you forget or can make an excuse. Walk away from the computer, grab a glass (a big one, not your child's sippy cup), fill it up, and chug it down!

Some people like water, some don't.

I happen to be a water drinker; I'm not very fond of sodas and I can't afford juices all the time. Besides, when I really think about it I'm drinking because I'm thirsty or because I want a specific taste of something. If I'm drinking something for the flavor that's fine. If I'm drinking because I'm thirsty, I'm already dehydrated and what I need is water. Nothing else will satiate that thirst except water. If I go for something else first I always end up making myself feel full and bloated later. My body continues to send out thirst signals until I give in and drink the water my body asked for to begin with.

Yes, the daily requirement for water really is 64 oz (or 8- 8oz glasses).

At home you can fill a 64oz drinking container and keep it by your side till it's gone. When I need to be less obvious, I use an 8oz plastic disposable cup and a marker. Each time I fill it up I give myself a tally mark on the side. Either way at the end of the day you can say, "Yea me!" instead of "Hmm, did I drink any water today?".

Not getting enough water, called dehydration, makes us tired, unmotivated and can trigger headaches. On the other hand, making sure we stay hydrated by drinking enough water has a ton of benefits.

Including:

Healthier skin and wrinkle prevention

Reduced fluid retention

Relieving constipation and keeping us regular

Strengthening the immune system, and

Preventing kidney stones

Don't like the taste? If you can stand it, cold usually has less "taste" than warm. There are also a ton of filters and bottled waters you can try. Try flavored and vitamin waters but be wary- these contain sugar substitutes and other things you may not want.

Here's another solution- find a fruit flavor you enjoy and add just a touch to your water yourself. Keep lemon juice in your fridge or sealed containers of concentrated lemon aid, orange juice, lime aid, etc. in your freezer. Use a spoon to scoop a small amount and stir it into your glass.

Ok, what if you really, really, really, don't like water? You can console yourself by rationalizing that other things that you drink and eat throughout the day will have water in them... Well, sort of.

Alcohol, coffee and colas don't count- these make you urinate more and loose water faster. Broth based soups, fruit (but the calories really add up) and veggie drinks, and natural teas do count. All in all however water is still best.

Finished with your glass of water yet?

Good, you're dismissed to the bathroom!

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Learn more about Alison Palmer

Writing is Alison's favorite past time, but you can also frequently find her reading, playing piano, cooking, taking long walks, sewing, or playing with her family.

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Julie Gentry (5915) 21 Jan 2007 03:50 PM

Good reminder, Alison! Here in the Northwest, we're on a sweet well. It was a lot harder to drink water when it came out of a California tap!

Alison Palmer (269) 22 Jan 2007 01:14 PM

You're welcome. I'm glad you've got good water now, California water, ugh!

Katie-Anne Gustafsson (604) 24 Jan 2007 01:24 PM

I'm a water drinker and even I can't drink the water in the US - I couldn't even use it to brush my teeth and had to use bottled water instead! LOL The processing stuff that gets put in the water there is so strong that I can't get past the smell to even taste. Most of our water here in Sweden comes through springs and wells, we are a country of lakes, and so even though it does get some processing when it's through the city system, it still maintains it's clear, clean taste. One thing I don't get though, if water's so good for you, and I drink so much of it - why have I so many health issues? Sigh!

Alison Palmer (269) 25 Jan 2007 08:38 AM

Yes, I'm afraid much of the water in the US is an acquired taste. If we didn't grow up drinking it, we probably couldn't stand it either! I even have a friend who found that the reason she was getting sick so much was because she was allergic to the minute amounts of chlorine the city was using to "purify" the water she was drinking. Wouldn't it be nice if good, clean water were available to everyone, and if it would fix all of our health problems! Thanks for your comments.