H2O

Let’s talk about water.

It’s the most important thing we need for survival.
We can survive three days without a morsel of food.
We can survive just one day without water.
And yet, many people avoid water like the plague.
I’m thankful I am not one of those people. Hubby was before he started on his weight loss journey. Before he would only drink those artificially sweetened flavoured waters. Now he happily drinks fresh, plain water.
Before starting on my own journey, I thought I was drinking enough water. I thought I was doing well drinking a bottle of water a day. I drank a lot of pop and juice the rest of the time. Then I picked up drinking coffee and tea.
The recommended daily minimum intake of water is eight 8oz servings a day. How do you know you’re drinking enough? Measure it out if you have to.  Oh, if you’re like me and prefer drinking out of a water bottle; one bottle is about 16.9oz. One bottle is two servings.  Four bottles on water in one day is a good start to making sure you’re getting in your water intake.
Our bodies are made up of mostly water. It’s important we keep replenishing it with more fresh water. Dehydration is pretty serious. We need to drink water before we feel thirsty. Once you’re thirty, you’re already dehydrating yourself.
I recently came across an article listing signs of dehydration.
Here’s the list:

-Fatigue
- Lethargy
-Irritability
-Headaches
-Blurred vision
-Flushed skin
-Lack of mental clarity
-Constipation
-Cystitis 
-Back pain
-Excess weight
-High cholesterol
-Cellulite
-Water retention

Water retention? That caught my interest. When I was pregnant with Monkey, I suffered some crazy water retention. My feet swelled so much, I wore Hubby’s shoes to the hospital the day Monkey was born. I couldn’t fit into my own shoes. To help battle water retention the second time around, my doctor told me to drink a lot of water. And I did. I drank like crazy. And I never had an issue with swelling or water retention.
Flushed skin? Hmm…Normally when I drink alcohol my skin flushes within the first half glass. Alcohol dehydrates; so the flushed skin  makes sense. Good thing I’m not a big drinker. Just the odd glass of wine here or there.
Fatigue and lethargy? Can I blame not drinking enough water for my laziness that got me in my current situation of needing to lose weight? No, I’m just kidding. I take full responsibility for my extra pillow around my middle. But good to know that making sure I’m hydrated can help keep my energy level up with the addition to good food choices.  
I’ve also heard a few times that drinking a bottle of water (or two servings worth) of water first thing in the morning is a great way to just start your day. Drink it before you drink or eat anything else in the morning. I tried it out this morning. I don’t know if I tried to drink it too fast (I was eager to get to my beloved morning coffee; it’s my routine) or if I just can’t handle that much water right away on an empty stomach, but it nearly came back up. A few deep breaths and I was fine. I also had breakfast soon after that to sooth my nauseous tummy.
I’ll try drinking the water again tomorrow morning. Maybe drinking it slower to see how that works out for me.  A friend suggested pouring my water the night before and leaving it out on the counter so that it’s room temperature. I might give that a whirl too. (I drink out of water bottles, but we reuse them. One case of 24 bottles lasts us about 2 or 3 months).
Make sure you’re getting in your water! Your body will thank you.