If you're like me, sometimes you are great about drinking lots of water, and sometimes.....well, your body is left wanting more. And it might be easy to convince yourself that "one day isn't that big of a deal", but IS IT? REALLY? How important is water to your body?

Water does a LOT for your body...some things you probably already know and some things that maybe you didn't. First off, let's talk about how much of our bodies are made UP of water. Our bodies are about 60% water! That's over HALF of your body right now (am I making you feel like you have to pee yet?) All that water is used to regulate body temperature, maintain blood volume, absorb shock, transport and distribute water-soluble nutrients like Vitamin C & B complex, and lubricate your joints, membranes, and synovial tissues. On top of all that, water helps to keep your digestive system moving, it removes waste matter and toxins, and boosts healthy skin.

There are many different recommendations when it comes to the total volume of water that individuals should consume in a day. Some sources will tell you you should consume 8 glasses a day (but what size should those glasses be!?!?). Some will say it should be half of your body weight in ounces. The recommendations go on and on. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, women should drink an average of 11.5 cups of water per day. That's 2.7L or 92oz! I know, that sounds like a LOT, but it can be done. For men, those numbers rise to 15.5 cups/ 3.7L/ 124oz. And if you're going to be working out, sweating, or just hanging out in hot/humid climates, it's even more important that you keep your body adequately hydrated.

Even slight dehydration can take its toll on your body. Inadequate water intake can impair cognitive processes. Mild dehydration (especially during training), can cause increased heart rate, higher body temperature, decreased cardiac output, decrease blood flow, and overall decreased performance. If you're training hard and really sweating, you're to replace any water weight that's lost during your workout at a rate of 1.25%....so if you're lost 2lb (32oz) of water weight during your workout, you should be drinking 40oz of water to replenish what your body lost.

While it's best to get your daily intake of water from your trusty water bottle or cup, there are some foods that are at least 90% water which can help you get in some added fluids a pinch. Some of those foods include strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and zucchini. These foods have a very low caloric density which means they help to fill you up without filling you up with loads of calories!

Speaking of calories....water is calorie-free! (like you didn't know that) Drinking water instead of sodas or other sugary/high calorie drinks can help with weight loss by helping to fill you up while doing all those great beneficial things listed above. So, what are you waiting for? Go grab your favorite water bottle (or better yet, go buy a new, pretty one and tell your husband that you HAD to have it to help keep your body in TOP PERFORMANCE CONDITION!) and fill 'er up....you've got a lot of water to drink!

HAPPY DRINKING!

Karen