Last August when Hurricane Irene hit our tiny island, we were left without electricity for four days. That meant we had no running water to cook, clean, or drink. Luckily, there wasn’t a water run and we were able to go to other parts of the island that did have electricity to fill jugs for the toilet and to wash ourselves, and to drink.
Not having clean, running water for those few days was a true eye opener of how necessary it is for us to live and how this free resource needs to be protected from the destructive nature of human beings. Let’s face it, if we manages to destroy our water supply, we destroy ourselves.
We seem to take for granted the true value of water. It’s always within reach to clean, wash, cook and in some cases drink. It seems that Americans have a love/hate relationship with water. We carry around bottles of it like a lifeline, but we still have an addiction to soft drinks that poison us.
Why should we drink water? According to a nifty slide show on WebMD, here are the top seven reasons:
- If you’re trying to lose weight, water helps speed up metabolism and helps you feel full. Replace empty-calorie soda with water, and drink a glass before meals to help you feel fuller. Drinking cold water also helps with metabolism – especially if your glass is icy cold. Your body must work to warm the water up, burning a few extra calories in the process.
- Dehydration makes you feel fatigued. Drink water and it will boost your energy. Water helps the blood transport oxygen and other essential nutrients to your cells. If you’re getting enough water, your heart also doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood throughout your body.
- Seventy to 80% of your brain tissue is water. If you’re dehydrated, your body and your mind will be stressed. If you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already a little dehydrated. To keep stress levels down, keep a glass of water at your desk or tote a sports bottle and sip regularly.
- Drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and lubricates joints in the body. When you’re well hydrated, you can exercise longer and stronger without “hitting the wall.”
- Fine lines and wrinkles are deeper when you’re dehydrated. Water is nature’s moisturizer. Drinking water hydrates skin cells and plumps them up, making your face look younger. It also flushes out impurities and improves circulation and blood flow, leaving your face clean, clear, and glowing.
- Along with fiber, water is essential to good digestion. Water helps dissolve waste particles and passes them smoothly through your digestive tract. If you’re dehydrated, your body absorbs all the water, leaving your colon dry and making it more difficult to pass waste.
- The rate of painful kidney stones is rising because people — including children — aren’t drinking enough water. Water dilutes the salts and minerals in your urine that form the solid crystals known as kidney stones. Kidney stones can’t form in diluted urine, so reduce your risk with plenty of water.
Don’t know how much to drink? As a rule use the 8×8 rule used by nutritionists: eight ounces of water, eight times a day or 2 quarts per day. If you exercise and sweat a lot, drink more water to keep hydrated.
Now throw away all that nasty soda and fill your glass with some refreshing water. Bottoms up!
