I love water! I drink water to quench a thirst, with meals, during work outs, and to keep busy. Yes to keep busy! It helps me stay awake during meetings. It also helps fill in those awkward moments in a conversation. Water is the purest thing you can consume daily. Best yet, water can help curve your appetite by keeping you full and not add on the unwanted calories.
Did you know that the human body is made up of approximately 60 percent water? As little as a 2 percent loss can result in dehydration! That’s why we must drink a sufficient amount of water to retain this percentage because we are losing this water through perspiration and other organ functions such as removals of toxins. Our bodies need water to perform its daily functions such as waste removal, transport of nutrients, regulating our body temperature and simply breathing. Besides these vital functions, there are many other benefits to drinking water. Water is an essential component to all living organisms.

So what happens when you don’t drink enough water? Your body gets dehydrated. Like a grape turning into a raisin, your skin and body becomes dry. There is also increased fatigue and your muscles and joints may also become more vulnerable to cramping and sprains. Most importantly, your inner body and organs cannot function efficiently when your body is dehydrated. While 2 percent water loss can cause dehydration, 15 percent water loss can be lethal. So, bottoms up!
Water is natural and pure, but by drinking excessively more than your body needs, it can result in water intoxication. Yes, it is very possible! It’s sort of like drowning— imagine your organs being submerged in water. When you take in more water than what your body can use and eliminate at a given time, it can become a bad thing too. There have been stories of people dying from water challenges because of water intoxications. Like everything else, having too little or too much isn’t good for you. There needs to be a balance.
Since we can’t have too little, and not too much— how much water do we need? It is impossible to know the exact amount of water a person needs but the general rule of thumb recommends 8×8. That is, 8 glasses of 8 ounces a day. Or to get a more precise amount, multiply a person’s weight by 2/3 to get the amount of water (in ounces). BUT! Not everyone is the same. Due to our differences in weights, heights, and daily activities; each person may require more or less of the 8×8 equation. A person who is working out may need more to replenish the water loss from sweating versus someone who is less active or at a resting state.

Now that you know the importance of water, drink up! If you don’t like the flavorless taste of water, you can add herbs and fruits for extra flavor or consume fruits and veggies that are high in water content such as watermelon, grapefruit, and celery.