Most of you know I have a H U G E aversion, might I even say disgust for sodas. I am on the other hand a H U G E advocate of drinking more water. And for good reason.

This summer I bought a new water bottle for Tommy (grandson) and me because he was not drinking enough water. To make it fun and so that he would realize how much water he was drinking we each got a Camelbak BPA-free water bottle. I got the liter size and he got the 1/2 liter. That way when he would race me to drink more water … he always won with finishing his bottle first! We carried it everywhere we went. He knew that there was nothing else to drink until one bottle was gone. Then he might get lemonaide or juice. Then we would start on the next bottle. You would be surprised at how many days all he drank was water. With no ice mind you.
Here is the back story on me. I grew up in a household where the only soda in the house was Root Beer and that was for Daddy’s Root Beer Floats! P E R I O D. And yes he did share with his girls!
When I left home I did drink sodas for a while but realized early on that if you are thirsty and you reach for a soda you are NOT quenching your thirst at all. Water quenches your thirst. By the time a person feels thirsty, your body is telling you it needs water and you are becoming dehydrated.
Think about this. Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? You just slept for 6-8 hours with nothing to fuel your body. Well you also haven’t had a drink of water either. When you wake up each morning you should drink a glass … yes 8 ounces of water.
I will say that was the hardest thing for me to do when I was training for my first triathlon. So I kept water by my bed and I would sit on the edge of the bed and make myself drink the water before I went to the bathroom. I was shocked at what a difference it made in my day. It set the pace for staying hydrated during the day and an unexpected benefit came along with it. My dry skin became nonexistent.
Well that makes perfect sense since up to 70 percent of the human body weight is composed of water. Muscle is made up of nearly 75 percent water. Fat is made up of about 50 percent water. Bones are also composed of about 50 percent water.
However, fat tissue does not have as much water as lean tissue. So, if you are overweight it does not mean that you are carrying more water weight. Sorry! If you are overweight it means you are carrying more fat. Plain and simple.
Every system in your body needs water. Water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. Your body requires water to function properly.
I try to drink two liters each day. I have found that if I have a water bottle I KNOW what I have drank each day as opposed to trying to count the glasses of water during the day.
Here are some additional reasons to drink your water:
- One glass of water can alleviate late night hunger
- Drinking at least 5 glasses of water each day can reduce the incidence of colon cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer.
- Drinking the recommended 8 to 10 glasses of water a can can ease joint pain AND help you maintain your weight levels.
- Soft drinks, coffee, and tea, while made up almost entirely of water, also contain caffeine. Caffeine can act as a mild diuretic, preventing water from traveling to necessary locations in the body.
Water Trivia: 20 Interesting and Useful Water Facts