Not long ago someone asked me what was the most important thing to do for their health.  It didn’t take me long to come up with an answer.  If I was holding up the first sign on The Healthy Way it would say “Drink more water”.  Most people would admit they know they should drink more water but they have a million excuses why they aren’t.  Or they think that drinking all that coffee, tea, and soda takes care of it.  No way!  Any beverage with caffeine in it just causes us to eliminate more and get more dehydrated.

Our bodies use a lot of water every day.  Just normal activity requires three quarts of replacement water each day and a hot climate, strenuous activity and eating salty foods increases this requirement.  A heavy, dense cooked food diet is void of water to begin with and then when you add a lot of salt on top of that you’ve got a recipe for water retention, constipation, aches and pains, and many other health issues.  There are a lot of health problems that can be solved just by drinking more water so why not start with what’s easy and cheap.  Your body will thank you.

Eating a lot of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables will not only help with the water issue but give you badly needed minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, and antioxidants.  Fruits and vegetables are almost 90% water and the healthiest thing you can eat.  They also give you much needed fiber to push things along in your colon that’s already suffering from too much processed food and not enough water.  Always remember that when you increase your fiber you need to increase your water.

By the time you feel thirsty you’re already dehydrated.  Be proactive by drinking at least a cup of water every hour.  A good rule of thumb for the daily amount you need is half your weight in ounces.  For instance, if you weigh 150 lbs. you would drink 75 ounces of water.

So drink up and stay tuned for the next road sign.  Cheers!