Thursday, April 4, 2013

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


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