Drink Your Water People!

We all know that we should be drinking water, right?  We all know that water is the healthiest beverage, right?  Yet, how many times a day do people make the choice to drink soda over water?  How many of you drink 1 soda every day? Two? A gas station drink refill on your way home from work? 

I can tell you that I personally know people in my family - I won't name names, but you know who you are ;) - that probably don't drink ANY water at all in a day.  Seriously.  If they are thirsty, they get a pop. (That's what we call it around here.)

Here are a few fun facts about water:

* 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

* Drinking 2-3 liters of water a day burns 50-75 additional calories, and speeds up your metabolism by as much as 30%.

* In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

* Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

* Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

* One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

* A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

* Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

* Water is vital for keeping your system clean.  It helps with detoxification and assists bile acids in flushing out toxins.

This is a really great app called Water Your Body.  I love it because you customize your own specific water container, and every time you drink a glass, you just tap it and it will add it to your total.  There is a graph that shows your intake history and how much water you have left to drink. 

 

One thing I think is really cute - you can schedule reminders during the day, and when it's time for a drink, there is a pouring water sound effect.  How awesome is that?  My phone can remind me to drink my water!!  It makes drinking water fun - like a game! Now there are no excuses!

Water is great, isn't it?  If you are trying to lose weight, or even just be healthy and energetic - you should aim to drink 2-3 liters of water a day.  If you must choose a pop, make sure to drink an extra glass of water to make up for it.  I used to have a pop every day, then I said I would only have it on the weekends.  Eventually I just started preferring water.  :)

 

 

As a side note - my parents have their own well, and let me tell you - I never knew water could be so yummy!  It's seriously delicious!

 

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?  Do you say soda or pop?  (Just curious.) haha