Not Getting Enough Water?

What happens when your body is dehydrated?

12 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water

Wondering why you should drink more water? Read on...

Time to Get Challenged!

Happy American Heart Month!

What better way to show your love for your body, your heart and your health than kicking off another Bates Family Health Challenge??  We'll begin our next challenge this Sunday, February 21st! This challenge is all about YOU and feeling your best. Our weekly goals have been updated a little bit. Here's a review:

The challenge is based on 5 weekly goals:


1. Get Veggies!- Eat at least 2 lunch or dinner meals per week that do not contain meat. Meat = ANY animal products (pork, beef, chicken or fish).

2. Get Fit!- Get your heart rate up at least 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes each session.

3. Get Moving!
- Limit television watching to less than 2 hours per day.  Fitness shows, dvds, or gaming systems that are being used for working out do not count towards television hours.

4. Get Heart Smart!
- Aim for a low sodium and low sugar diet. Eat 1,500mg or less of sodium per day.  Limit the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance. According to the American Heart Association, that’s no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons of sugar) for most American women. For men, it’s 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons).

5. Get Hydrated!- Drink between 11 (gals) and 16 (guys) cups of fluids (WATER, low-fat milk, decaffeinated coffee/tea) per day.

Each week, challenge members should fill out the survey indicating how well they met the weekly goals.  Results will be posted on the blog to help us determine where we can get stronger and give more support as a family.  Tips, articles, exercises and recipes will be posted each week to keep us all on track.  Anyone wishing to submit a posting for the blog, please send it to me!

Are you ready to Get Challenged??

5 Ways to Make Water Taste Better

from Women's Health 

There's always a trendy new health drink, but you'll never do better than good-old water. H20 has a long list of health benefits, and it can even help promote weight loss. 

That said, water can't boost your health if you don't drink up—which is hard if you hate the taste. Sound familiar? Here are some great ways to add a hint of flavor to ordinary H20.

More Tips to Increase your Water Intake

• Drink water first thing in the morning. Start every day by drinking 16 – 24 ounces of water. If you have to sit down and finish the whole thing before you move on – do it.
• Drink a glass of water right before you go to bed.
• Every time you go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water. 
• Fill enough bottles of water for the whole day. Keep them in various places around your house, office or workspace. Make sure they’re each empty before you go to bed.
• Drink a glass of water each hour, on the hour while you’re at work.

Even more water!

While our goal is to aim for at least 8 glasses of water per day, it’s important to note that in some situations we need to up the hydration ante!

Exercise

If you’re one to sweat during exercise, it’s important to replete those water loses with what else-- WATER! Try drinking 1-2 cups of water after a moderate exercise. If you plan on exercising for an hour or more you need even more water. The more you sweat the more water you need!

Weather

In these hot, humid, summer months, hydration is even more important! We tend to sweat more in warmer climates and we need to replete those loses by drinking even more. Pay attention to your body and the weather. If it’s a particular hot day, try to drink every hour.

Dehydration

When you feel the sensation of thirst, you are most likely already 2% dehydrated!

The effects of being 2% dehydrated include mental fogginess, fatigue and possible dizziness.

-from MSK Employee Wellness

A Sip of Soda

The Hydration Challenge continues! Read more about the impact of soda on your health

ASTHMA
Sodium benzoate, found in sodas, is used as a preservative (microbial control) in foods. Sodium preservatives add sodium to the diet and reduce the availability of potassium. Some reported reactions to sodium benzoate include recurring uticaria (rash), asthma, and eczema.

DISSOLVES TOOTH ENAMEL
Sugar and acid in soft drinks easily dissolve tooth enamel

HEART DISEASE
Mos soft drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that's recently come under considerate scrutiny.  High fructose corn syrup has been associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a condition associated with an elevated risk of both diabetes and heart disease.

INCREASED RISK OF DIABETES
Those who drink more soda have an 80% increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

KIDNEY ISSUES
Colas contain high levels of phosphoric acid, which has been linked to kidney stones and other renal problems.

OBESITY
The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumer, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times.

OSTEOPOROSIS
Soft drinks contain phosphoric acid and a high phosphate diet has been associated with bone breakdown and an increased risk of osteoporosis.  When phosphorus is excreted in the urine, it takes calcium with it, depriving the bones and the rest of the body of this important mineral.

REPRODUCTIVE ISSUES
Soft drink cans are coated with a resin that contains BPA (bisphenyl-A).  This is the same cancer causing chemical found in baby bottles, water bottles, and plastic containers that wreaks havoc on the endocrine system, potentially causing premature puberty and reproductive abnormalities.

SUGAR OVERLOAD
20 minutes after drinking your soda, your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst.  Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar into fat.
40 minutes later, caffeine absorption is complete.  Your pupils dilate; your blood pressure rises; as a response, your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.  The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked, preventing drowsiness
45 minutes later, your body ups your dopamine production, stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain.  This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.

Track your Water Consumption

Experts recommend consuming at least eight glasses (2 liters) of water a day. How much are you drinking?
Here are some ideas to help track your daily water consumption:

• Tape some paper to your reusable water bottle and track how many times you empty it each day.
• Use your Smartphone to keep a log.
• Keep a journal or small notepad with you and note your daily water consumption in the journal.

Tracking is an important way to monitor things you want to improve. You have to know your starting point to in order to see results.

From MSK Employee Wellness

What Can Water Do for You?

Water is involved in many functions in the body; see below to learn just how essential water is.

30 Day Hydration Challenge

I am doing this challenge at work and was encouraged to share the tips. 

Welcome to Day 1!

During the next month we challenge you to:

• Hydrate with water
• Aim for at least 8 (8 oz.) glasses each day or about 2 liters!
• Seltzer water is allowed.
• Avoid all soda, including diet soda.
• Avoid sugary beverages like sports drinks, fruit punch, and iced tea.
• Limit fruit juices – even 100% fruit juice.

 Hydration Facts:

• Water makes up approximately 60% of your body weight.
• Water plays an important role in the proper management of your body. It helps remove        toxins from the body and aids in the transport of nutrients.
• Dehydration is caused by a lack of proper fluid intake. Drink plenty of water to prevent feelings of fatigue, dizziness, and lack of energy caused by dehydration!
• Sometimes when you feel hungry you’re actually thirsty. Try drinking a glass of water before you grab a snack!

 So drink up! Aim for at least 8 (8 oz.) glasses (about 2 liters) of water per day!

Information from Memorial Sloan Kettering Employee Wellness

A Drink Made for Summer Sippin'!

Best Summer Drink from Women's Health Magazine

Mint + Ginger Green Tea Lemonade
Serves 4

4 cups water, divided
4 bags green tea
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, tightly packed
1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add tea bags, mint, and ginger, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain into a large pitcher, pressing on solids to extract remaining liquid. Add lemon juice and remaining water. Refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired, and serve over ice.

Drink up -- on a porch if you have one!

Staying Hydrated in Winter

4 Ways to Stay Hydrated this Winter (from Self magazine):

1. Eat your fluids. 
2. Warm up your morning commute. 
3. Go decaf after noon. 
4. Drink a glass of water before each meal.

How to Drink More Water Each Day

How to Drink More Water Each Day
September 13, 2013 RSS Feed Print

By MONICA NELSON

There are three top questions I always ask a new client when we meet. One is, "How is your water consumption?" The answer I hear from many: "I could drink more," or "I hate water," or "Does coffee count?" Hearing this every day is still a shock to me – which is why I want to talk about you and your relationship with water. I have high hopes that the second you're done reading this, you'll be on your feet pouring some water into your body. Let's get you motivated, inspired and excited to pound some good ol' quality H2O.

Sure, you've heard it before, and maybe you're rolling your eyes this very moment. Trust me, if there's one thing I know, it's that so many people aren't drinking enough water. I can't tell you how many of my new clients, friends and even family members don't drink enough water.

I wasn't always known by my current nickname, "Moni the Water Police." Although I was an athlete in college, I sure didn't drink water like an athlete. My staples were pizza, beer and the "what is water" kind of diet. (No one is perfect!) Once I learned how much better I felt and performed when I was well-hydrated and refueled properly, the rest was history. And, true story: I rarely got sick once I made this simple change.

[Read: Wondrous Ways That Water Can Improve Your Health.]

Look at it this way: Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes out toxins and keeps your environment moist (think skin, muscles, organs and bones). Most importantly, water carries nutrients to your cells, helps you look and feel your best, and provides you with energy.

Experts all say something a little different about how much to drink. We'll get to that in a minute. It's important to realize that we're all different and have specific needs. Each of us will differ on the amount of water our bodies actually need. It can depend on many factors, such as our overall health, where we live and our activity level. For example, are you a professional cyclist or a non-athlete?

One thing I can promise you is that most people don't drink nearly enough water, even though they think they do – and because of that, theybecome dehydrated. Dehydration means that you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can make you tired, drain your energy and make you feel achy. Don't wait until you feel thirsty in order to drink water; that means you're already dehydrated. Often, this may mean you eat (because you think you're hungry), when you're really just thirsty. Sound familiar?

Here are the facts:

• On average, 60 percent of your body weight is made up of water.

• Some of the benefits water provides include: increased energy levels, decreased appetite and improved metabolic function. Water also helps eliminate toxins and wastes, and alleviates fluid retention.

• The more hydrated you are, the more energy you'll have, the better your body will function and the better your skin will look. Hello, glow!

• Even better, replace soda with water and you could lose many pounds in just a year.

Tips on drinking more water:

• Initially, I recommend drinking at least half a gallon a day, but it's smart to try for more. It's hard at first, but you'll find that it gets easier the more you drink up. To get going, here's my favorite formula: Take your body weight, divide it in half and drink that number in ounces. For example, if you weight 150 pounds, half your weight is 75. So, you should aim to get 75 ounces of water a day. This is my best advice. Why? Because we're not all the same size, shape and weight. It wouldn't make sense for a 220-pound man and 130-pound woman to both drink 60 ounces of water a day. You could also follow the "8 by 8" rule (drinking at least eight 8-ounce cups a day), but there's a good chance it won't meet your individual requirement.

• Remember, many foods already have a water content, which contributes to your daily quota. However, I recommend focusing on drinking your fluids. This is more reliable, easier, calorie-free and inexpensive.

• Make it a goal to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Also, try to drink a glass of water before and during every meal. This will help prevent overeating and will jump start your metabolism. When you want to inhale that bag of crispy, salty potato chips, pound water instead. You'll likely realize you were simply thirsty. I busted you again!

• Infuse your water with flavor – it doesn't have to be boring. Think lemon, cucumber, fruit, fresh herbs and other flavors to have great tasting water on hand.

• Add bubbles! Adding a sparkling water with zero calories kicks the water experience up a notch and makes it more fun.

• Keep water bottles in your car, at your desk, in your gym bag and all over your house. Schedule H20 time into your daily calendar – with all the apps out there today there are no excuses, right?

• For the kids: Buy tiny water bottles (4 or 6 ounces) so you don't waste the full bottles. Set up a reward system when they drink one. Same as with adults: Let them have fun picking out a fruit to flavor the water with or add in some bubbles (carbonation).

• Sorry to get personal, but last but not least, what color is your urine? If it's colorless or very light, that's a great indication that you're hydrated. If it's dark in color (close to an amber shade), you know you need more water.

For you active folks: 

When you're exercising, make sure you understand the following:

• Two hours prior to exercise, drink 17 to 20 ounces.

• Every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise, drink 7 to 10 ounces.

• Following exercise (whether you're thirsty or not), drink 16 to 24 ounces for every pound of body weight loss.

A note to women who are expecting or breastfeeding: You need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breastfeed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

Are you thirsty yet? I hope these easy tips help and that you learned something new. My best advice is to learn from your good days. If you have a healthy day that feels easy, make notes about exactly what you did and why it worked.

I would love to hear from you. Are you getting enough water? Is this something you struggle with? What tips have worked best for you?

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns and feedback.

Monica Nelson, or "Moni" to her friends and clients, is a personal trainer, healthy foods chef, accomplished athlete, model and well-respected health and fitness expert. She works with celebrities and has been featured in publications such as SHAPE and Fitness. She's been a competitive snowboarder and is a true fitness fanatic. Moni's motto in life is "EAT WELL.STAY FIT. FEEL GREAT." Another one of her greatest passions and talents is cooking and baking. She runs a healthy recipe blog where she has created more than 350 healthy and decadent meals to enjoy. You can connect with Moni on Facebook and follow @monimealfitness on Twitter and Instagram. Grab a recipe or two atwww.monimeals.com then head over for a workout and get her latest tips at www.monicanelsonfitness.com. Moni lives in Los Angeles with her wonderful husband Mark, who is also a trainer, and their incredible English bulldog Eddie.

How What We Eat Affects Everything

An interesting article: http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/what-we-eat-affects-everything/279922/

More about the featured author's book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gutbliss-10-day-toxins-digestive-baggage/dp/1583335226

Healthy Eating Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet & Sticking to It

Thanks to Naye for this link!

You can read the ENTIRE article at helpguide.org, but here are some highlights:

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet.
Water. Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.
Exercise. Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries, or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.


Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key 

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables


Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective


Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium for strong bones

Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar and salt

March 2013 is National Nutrition Month!

NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH® MARCH 2013

The National Nutrition Month® 2013 theme, "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day," encourages 

personalized healthy eating styles* and recognizes that food preferences, lifestyle, cultural and 

ethnic traditions and health concerns all impact individual food choices. Registered dietitians play 

a critical role in helping people eat right, their way, every day.

*Based on 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommendations and MyPlate messages.

National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in 

March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the 

importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity 

habits. This year is the 40th anniversary of National Nutrition Month®.

Learn more from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Water Tracking Apps

I've been using a water tracking app for the last few weeks to track how much I'm drinking. So far it's been working well! If you have a smartphone and are looking for ways to keep better track of your water intake, read on!

From: http://projectputthatcookiedownnow.com/2011/this-app-is-making-me-thirsty/

9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit

9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit

By Leo Babauta
From http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/07/9-great-reasons-to-drink-water-and-how.html

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 lots of soda, 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 beer with dinner. I love it.

Here are 9 powerful reasons to drink water (with tips on how to form the water habit afterwards):

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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.


4. 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.


5. 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.


6. 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).


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


8. 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.


9. 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.

How to form the water habitSo you're convinced that water is healthier, but you'd like to know more about how to make drinking water a daily habit.

Here are some tips that have helped me:

• How much water?
  This is a debatable question. What's clear is that the old recommendation of "eight 8-ounce glasses a day" isn't right, for several reasons: that amount includes all dietary water intake, including food and non-water beverages; it also ignores a person's body weight, which is an important factor in figuring the amount; it also varies if you are sick or exercise. It's also not good to just drink when you're thirsty -- you're already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. Try to generally keep yourself from getting thirsty.


• Carry a bottle
  A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. I like to keep a glass of water at my desk, and I drink from it all day long. When it's empty, I fill it up again, and keep drinking.


• Set a reminder
  Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don't forget to drink water.


• Substitute water
  If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions.


• Filter
  Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a filter for your home faucet. It'll make tap water taste like bottled, at a fraction of the price.


• Exercise
  Exercising can help make you want to drink water more. It's not necessary to drink sports drinks like Gatorade when you exercise, unless you are doing it for more than an hour. Just drink water. If you're going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.


• Track it
  It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it -- it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you're staying on track. Keep a little log (it can be done on an index card or a notebook), which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.

Schedule Your Water

Importance of drinking water at the correct time maximizes its effectiveness on the Human body :

1.) 2 glasses of water after waking up helps activate internal organs.

2.) 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal helps digestion.

3.) 1 glass of water before taking a bath helps lower blood pressure.

4.) 1 glass of water before going to bed avoids stroke or heart attack.

How Much Water?

From: http://www.aquasana.com/how_much.php

How much water should I drink each day?

Of course you're aware that water is essential to life, but like most folks you're probably curious about how much water you need to establish and maintain your good health and the good health of everyone else who depends on you for their water supply. There's the old "8 8-oz glasses of water a day" adage, and then the newer wisdom about drinking half your body weight in ounces of water a day. Which is correct? And how much do your kids need – surely it can't be the same as for you? Do you need to drink more if you're an athlete? And how do you know when to drink all that water, anyway?

Medical science weighs in with an answer

The U.S. Institute of Medicine recently provided the first research-based answer to your important question. The Institute's recommendations for water consumption are in the chart below and show the daily water intake levels that are adequate for healthy people, by age.

But this is not the whole story! Read on...

You'll notice that as you age, the volume of water recommended increases. And, no big surprise, there are different amounts recommended for males and females, starting at about age nine. That's because the water needs of each gender are slightly different across the life span, and males, on average, develop larger bodies (thus requiring more water).

Infants who are exclusively breast fed do not require supplemental water; as they grow and become less dependent on their mothers, however, a baby's need for healthy, clean drinking water increases.

Look closely at the Institute's recommendations and you'll notice that the amount of water your children require to sustain their growth nearly doubles in the first year of life.

Water comes from food, too

But as we said, that chart doesn't show the whole story. Keep in mind that these recommended water intake amounts include the water you're getting from all sources. As a rule of thumb, the water in your food accounts for about one-fifth to one-third of your daily allotment. But this means good quality drinking water and other liquids must provide the remainder of your daily supply.

The following chart shows how many 8-ounce glasses of water you should drink daily to meet the Institute's recommendations. Remember that most of the glasses and cups used by adults and children today hold more than 8 ounces of liquid. It's a good idea to measure the actual capacity of the glass or other container you use for drinking water, and adjust your number of refills accordingly.

A lot of research shows that water alone is the perfect nutritional choice at any age. But other liquids prepared with fresh, clean water – such as lemonade, coffee or tea – are also good ways for you and your family members to meet the daily requirement. Just make those drinks with the best water possible!

Balance your hydration and nutrition

Although nearly all consumable liquids have a high water content, a significant proportion of the beverages you and your children may enjoy the most – such as sweetened fruit juices, drink mixes and soft drinks – also contain large amounts of sugar or other undesirable ingredients that can add calories of limited nutritional value. Growing children, in particular, need to secure most of their calories from foods of high nutritional quality.

Water alone will satisfy your children's thirst and provide them with the hydration they need – without adding empty calories or reducing their hunger for good foods.

Mom, I'm thirsty!

Every body has a built-in mechanism that signals when it's time to down another glass of water. It's called "thirst." Kids catch on right away that thirst is the body's natural way of requesting more water. The Institute of Medicine found that you will meet your daily water needs by drinking clean water whenever you feel thirsty.

Athletes, individuals who work in extremely hot environments, people who are ill, elderly individuals and infants are exceptions to this general rule. Their thirst mechanisms may not work as well or be inadequate to sustain healthy functioning.

If you're in one of these populations – or if your local temperature is consistently at or above 100 degrees (F) – make sure you and anyone you're caring for drink enough water every day, even when thirst is absent.

Adequate water is not just important, it's essential

Scientists call water an essential element for life because all bodily functions require water, and the body cannot produce its own. If you drink enough pure, fresh water daily, you will give your body one of the most important building blocks it needs for healthy living.

Learn more

These resources provide additional information about the recommended levels of hydration for individuals of different ages, genders and life circumstances:

Executive Summary of the National Institutes of Medicine Report: Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10925.html

The World Health Organization's report on water consumption:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsindw.pdf