Why and how should we drink WATER?

You know that you should be drinking plenty of water every day but how much and how do you get a habit of drinking it when there is coffee, pop, tea, alcohol, and so many other things you are used to?

To determine how much water you need on a daily basis divide your body weight (in pounds) by 2. This equals the number of ounces of water you need daily. A normal glass is approximately 8 ounces. Exercise, higher altitude, heat, low humidity, pregnancy, breast feeding, coffee, tea, pop and alcohol, as well as diarrhea or fever all increase the amount of needed water. Water is best consumed between meals, not while you are eating as it can dilute the digestive juices needed to adequately break down food. Drink additional water during and after any activity that depletes water or if you have been sweating or exercising. Reach for water at the first sign of stress, pain, headache, anxiety or discomfort to assist the body in adapting more quickly and easily.

To get into the habit of drinking water you can:

• Carry a bottle:Always keep a bottle or glass of water at your desk and take the bottle with you when you are out. When you have water within your reach, you will be more likely to drink it regularly.
• Set a reminder: Set your watch or cell phone to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don't forget to drink water.
• Substitute water: If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions. But also don’t forget that bubbles can bloat your stomach.
• Filter: Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It'll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price. Cold tap water will not have a smell or unpleasant taste.
• Exercise: Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It's not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you're going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple of hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.
• Track it: It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it -- it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you're staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.

Here are some great reasons why water should be your favourite drink:

• Water keeps your skin looking great by removing toxins and hydrating it.
• Water is the cheapest drink!
• Water is good for your heart. When are hydrated your blood is thinner and easier to pump and your heart needs to do less work and lasts longer.
• Water has no calories, sugars, artificial flavours and colors.
• Water can give you an energy boost. Your body is made up mostly of water. It loses it throughout the day, so you have to replace it for your body to work efficiently; particularly the heart and digestive tract. As mentioned earlier, water helps your body work better by getting rid of excess waste. The more efficiently your whole body is works, the better you’ll feel and the more energy you’ll have. Maybe enough energy to skip that cup of coffee.