WATER AS YOUR DAILY MEDICATION - BLISS JANE, NAUTH NNEWI

We all know that water is good for us, but often the reasons are a
little fuzzy. And even if we know why we should drink water, it's not
a habit that many people form.

But there are some very powerful reasons to drink lots of water every
day, and forming the habit isn't hard, with a little focus.

The thing about it is, we don't often focus on this habit. We end up
drinking coffee, and alcohol, not to mention fruit juices and teas and
milk and a bunch of other possibilities. Or just as often, we don't
drink enough fluids, and we become dehydrated -- and that isn't good
for our health.


I've made drinking water a daily habit, although I will admit that a
couple of years ago I was more likely to drink anything but water. Now
I don't drink anything but water, except for a cup of coffee in the
morning and once in awhile a Chi Exotic with dinner. I love it.

Here are 9 powerful reasons to drink water (with tips on how to form
the water habit afterwards):
Weight loss
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because
it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol
with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great
appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're
actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no
sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.

Heart healthy
Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart
attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal
of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of
water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the
study period than those who drank less than two glasses.

Energy
Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even
mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight.
If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to
fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.


Headache cure
Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we
have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water.
There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration
is a common one.

Healthy skin
Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a
healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of
course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have
good effects on your skin.

Digestive problems
Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food
properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water
along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of
dehydration).

Cleansing
Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products
from the body.

Cancer risk
Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount
of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by
45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer
by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Better exercise
Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing
you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires
additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after
exercise.