Six Things You Should Know About Water

Do you really need to drink water to be healthy?  In a word, YES.  According to WebMD, there are six main benefits to drinking water:

1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.
2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue.
4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. 
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don't get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration -- and the result is constipation.

Some other things to remember:

• Hydrate yourself well before and during workouts to maximize your energy.
• Soda is NOT a substitute for water.  Drinking soda can lead to tooth decay, dehydration (due to caffeine), weight gain, increased risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer.  Even diet soda has a slew of risks.  
• Buy a water bottle or stainless steel canister, fill it with water first thing in the morning and keep drinking from it every few minutes. When it empties, refill it.  Yes, you'll need to use the restroom more often, but that's a minor inconvenience.
• If you're not a water lover, with practice over time you'll gain a taste.  It will become your go-to drink.
• The general guideline is to drink at least 8 8oz glasses of water a day

So drink plenty of water and your body will thank you for it!