Water

As my first attempt at healthy living, water is now my beverage of choice. I purchased a 1L bottle of water and am going to try...no start again, I am going to drink 2.5 of these bottles per day.

How much water are you supposed to drink per day?

After researching this very question, I found many different approaches and yes, it is possible to drink TOO much water. The three answers I found most useful were the following:

1. Replace the liquids you lose. Everyday we lose approximately 1.5 liters of fluids in urine. 1 liter of fluids in our breath, yes breath, bowel movements and sweat. So to replace these fluids we lose, we should drink about 2 liters of water, getting the remaining .5 liters from foods we eat.

2. 8/8 Drink 8 8 oz. glasses of water per day. There is no scientific reasoning to this answer but I guess it just sounds good. Kind of like, "An apple a day...".

3. The Institute of Medicine recommends 2.2 liters of water per day for women.

I will go with number three.

What do I hope for by consuming this amount of water every day?

Well, I read that one of the big symptoms of dehydration is fatigue. So, first I hope for more energy. I also hope that it will curb my appetite. A lot of times, I am sure I grab a snack when really I am just thirsty. Also, at meal times, I should feel more full with water as part of my meal. Other positive affects I am hoping for will be less puffiness and better skin. As part of my overall health, my body will benefit from this more than I probably will every know.

Below is what my fluid intake per day has been lately. Coffee in the morning, 1-2 diet cokes throughout the day and beer or wine at night. The labels and packaging are lovely but after I took this picture and looked at it, I realized how far from natural these products look. Water is the obvious choice for healthier living.



Now, I am NOT going to give up these fabulous fluids all together. That would be too extreme. Remember, this is an attempt at healthier living. I will reduce my daily coffee intake, for now, to 1-2 cups, my diet coke servings to 1 can and my alcoholic intake to 1 beer or 1 BIG glass of red wine.

I will revisit this topic in one week and let you know how this commitment has made me feel.

Now I must go, I have to pee.