water drinking

Water, water, everywhere! Did you try drinking ONE more glass of water per day? How was it? Not too bad, right? A glass of water by itself won't perform any overnight miracles in your body, but it is a great (and easy) first step.

Now, you might be able to guess the next step: add ANOTHER glass of water per day. Yes, you need to drink more water! One way to see if your body has enough water is to check the color of your urine. It should be nearly clear. If it is yellow or darker, then your body is crying out for more water. Water is vital to all of your bodily functions, and while you can live with less water, you will feel better when your body has more.

According to Aqua4Balance.com (a great website for water wellness, both inside and out), dehydration can be the source of pain such as:

• Heartburn
• Anginal Pain
• Lower Back Pain
• Reumatoid Joint Pain
• Migraine Headaches
• Colitis Pain
• Fibromyalgia Pains
• Morning Sickness during Pregnancy

So, it's time to actively look for ways to add more water to your daily routine. One 8-ounce glass per hour would be a good guideline, plus whatever other liquid you want. If you aren't used to drinking so much, you will go to the bathroom more often at first. But soon your body will get used to having all the water it needs and you will not need to pee as much.

One woman in the UK decided to "jump in with both feet" and drink more than a gallon of water each day. She wrote and took pictures for four weeks. In the first week, her urine became clear, her bowels were improved, headaches gone, and joint stiffness improved. Her skin broke out (a result of toxins exiting her body).  During the second week, her complexion improved and her stomach flattened. Her husband complimented her lack of cellulite! Her third week, she realized that she was eating less; she had been misinterpreting thirst for hunger (37% of us do). By the fourth week, her skin had so improved that she felt younger when she looked in the mirror. Here are her pictures, see if you agree:

 

Now, you know that I don't normally advocate such big changes (remember the title of this blog, "Think Big. Start Small."), but look what a difference drinking water can do! Two 8-ounce glasses (or one bottle) every hour for 8 hours will equal a gallon. Maybe you want to try this? Maybe you want to set that as a goal? Whatever works for you. I want you to look and feel better like this woman does, and like I do.

 

When I first started drinking water, I was in my twenties and I had gained nearly 70 pounds from my "normal" weight. I decided to take part in a very stringent diet (Formyou3). In the first week, I had to give up caffeine, sugar, fat, and drink half a gallon of water per day. As you can imagine, I had royal headaches and was extra-grumpy for the whole week. This is part of why I don't recommend big changes - it's too much for our already-stressed lives! Small changes can work just as well without the drastic consequences! But, even though that was a tough regimen (and I'm grateful for that program, where I lost 67 pounds in a year), I quickly saw the benefits of drinking water. My hair, skin, and nails were vastly improved, and (once I got over the initial phase) my headaches and general malaise went away. I give most of the credit to water, and I've been a BIG DRINKER ever since!