Water, Water, Water, enough can't be said about water.
Water is far too important to be overlooked and taken for granted. Water makes up most of the world's surface and accounts for more than 75% of an adult's body. After oxygen, water is the most important nutrient the body needs in order to function correctly. Blood and muscles are mostly made of water and many other areas including skin, bone and fat contain water. The brain is 80% water. Anything that dehydrates you makes it harder to think. Think about it?

Some of the essential functions where water plays a vital role in the body include:
	Breaking down proteins and fats.
	Absorbing vitamins and minerals.
	Digesting and eliminating waste products.
	Regulating body temperature.
	Helps keep skin healthy, moist, clean and blemish free.
	Helps maintain muscle tone.
	Water also quenches thirst better than other beverage.

The body needs to maintain proper fluid levels throughout the day and especially before, during and after a physical active. The more the body is physically active, the more water the body needs to maintain proper fluid levels. The body looses water through perspiration, moisture while exhaling and digestive process.

A dry mouth or throat can be a signal that water fluid levels in the body are low.

The list of symptoms caused by dehydration include:
	Thirst
	Feeling tired
	Headaches
	Regulating body temperature.
	Difficulty loosing weight
	Dizziness
	Nausea
	Muscle cramps
	Dry skin
	Blemished skin
	Darker than usual urine color
	Difficulty eliminating waste

Other drinks such as coffee, soda, tea and alcohol help cause dehydration. These drinks actually work against you by depleting any water you've consumed.

Many people only drink water when they are thirsty. Only drinking water when you're thirsty is an indication that you may not be getting enough water. Unlike the hunger mechanism, a person's thirst mechanism may not be sensitive enough to react correctly to an improper level of water in the body. This is especially true when a person gets older. In these circumstances, a person may not know that they are becoming dehydrated until it's too late. Over time small levels of dehydration can have a big affect on the body and mind.

As my old friend always says, late is often too late. That is true in many circumstances including dehydration. Chances are that the symptoms of dehydration exist by the time you feel dehydration setting in. Be proactive versus reactive - drink water even though you not thirsty.

Why aren't people drinking enough water?
For many people, it's can be simply that they are not accustomed to drinking water on a regular basis and especially in quantity such as an 8 oz. glass of water. I hear people say that they don't think about drinking until they are thirsty. The same people also tell me that they go for coffee or soda before drinking water.

Tips to start drinking water on a regular basis.
1. Become in the habit of drinking water on a regular basis.
2. Become aware of your water intake.

Lose weight by drinking water?
Drinking water is probably the most important element in losing weight. Drinking water is twice as beneficial when trying to lose weight because it doesn't contain any calories or sweeteners like juices, sodas or sports drinks. Drinking water can also fill you up and make you less hungry. Try drinking a glass of water before eating and one glass after eating.

The body tends to hold onto food when it is deprived of food and it also holds onto water when it is deprived of water.

How much water should you drink per day?
The amount of water consumed per day depends on the person. Some people say as much as possible without overloading the kidneys. The general rule for drinking, however, is that the average adult should drink about 8 to 10 8-oz. glasses of water every day. 9-14 8-oz glasses on days that the person is physically active enough to work the body. The 9 glasses or more rule also applies on hot days where a person tends to become dehydrated easily.

Make water a habit
I used to only be able to drink only one or two small drinks from an 8-oz glass of water at a time. The more often I drank water, the easier it became to drink more water at one time. Now I am able to drink the entire 8 oz glass of water stopping only once or twice. I now actually enjoy drinking an entire glass of water where as before it was a struggle.

You find that at first that you are making more frequent tips to the bathroom but that should slow down as your bladder becomes accustomed to holding more water. Adjust the amount of water you're consuming and drink a little more until you find the right amount for you.

Don't overload your kidneys
People with kidney problems are often told to drink only a cup at a time. Drinking a cup at a time may also work for you. The main point is to drink as much water as possible without overloading your kidneys. Learn how much water you should consume per day. Make it a habit to drink water at certain times of the day until it becomes a habit. All without overloading your kidneys.

Tap, bottle or filter water?
Most tap water is free but at what cost. For example, some homes built in the 1950's were made with iron/lead plumbing. Drinking water from iron/lead plumbing can have hazardous effects on a person over time. Try running the water for a minute or two before drinking if you're concerned that old plumbing is installed in your house. You can also install small faucet filter.

Not all bottled water is created equally. The water can come from different places and packaging in plastic bottles doesn't help. Of course, let's not forget the cost of drinking bottled water.

Installing a good water filter is the best option for most people. Of course, not all filters are created equally. Investigate the various types of filters and their associated cost. This article doesn't go into listing water filters but please feel free to send us an email message at info@ChiEnergyInYou.com with information about water filters or comments about this article.

Please share any questions or comments concerning this article.

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