Water is a fantastic way to fill the gaps between meals.  When your mouth wants to be busy, say around 3:00 in the afternoon when dinner is still a few hours away, a cold glass of water can help take your mind off of the snacking habit.

What’s wrong with soda or diet soda?

Scientists and health advocates blame soda for a wide variety of ailments ranging from tooth decay to diabetes, even cancer!  The reason is simple: beyond high-fructose corn syrup, which is pure sugar, the remaining ingredients are chemicals.

What about diet soda, you may ask; it doesn’t have any sugar. True, instead it has more chemicals and many scientists believe that these chemicals and artificial sweeteners in particular need to be studied more thoroughly.  There is a general consensus among those in the medical industry that artificial sweeteners play some role in the epidemic of obesity in the world. 

How much water is necessary?

The advice for years was that we should look to drink eight glasses of water a day. Since those guidelines first came out, the composition of people has changed. We are a larger nation and eight glasses of water is not necessarily enough for all body types and activity levels.Therefore, eight glasses a day is a start (drink an extra 8 oz of water for every 25 pounds overweight).

For men, consuming closer to twelve glasses is more accurate. As for women, eight to ten is a good start. But, you can always drink more. In fact, if you exercise a lot or your work is very physical where you are sweating, replacing that fluid loss is crucial. To ensure that you are getting enough water, start by replacing what you have lost. Not only do you sweat but you also urinate. Replace cup for cup to meet the basic needs of the body, but drink more for optimum function.

Not happy with water?

Many people don’t like to drink plain water. Like many healthy goals, it helps to make small changes. So if you can't drink 8 glasses of water a day, start with 4 glasses and try that for a week. Once you’ve got the hang of that, you can gradually increase your daily intake.

To make your water more palatable, spruce it up with a sugar-free flavor packet or a bit of lemon juice. Or consider drinking the flavored and carbonated water that is now available at most grocery stores. Take care to make sure that the water has no additional sugar or artificial sweeteners. Mineral waters, carbonated or non-carbonated, also offer an appealing alternative.

When it comes right down to it, water really is the best thing for your body. It hydrates your cells, cleanses your body and helps you lose weight, stay healthy and feel better..