Are You Parched? You Could Be.

You've heard it a million times, drink your water! You know you should do it, but you don't always get around to it. And frankly, you don't understand why you need to drink the stuff. I mean is it really worth all those extra trips to the bathroom?

Yes. Without water your body simply cannot perform at optimal levels and the effects are long term. In the short term, you'll feel it in the form of fatigue, dehydration, dry skin and constipation. In the long term, all of your body functions wil begin to work less effectively. Not pretty.

Try to choose bottled spring or filtered water over tap water. Some experts argue that tap water contains fluoride and chlorine, chemicals that can be toxic to the body over time. They also caution against drinking distilled water. According to Dr. Mercola from Mercola.com, it has the wrong PH, ionization and polarization potentials. Big words, but that should be enough to get you to stick to your Brita and PUR water filters.

Tap water is OK if spring or filtered water is not available. In my opinion, you should always choose spring or filtered water as much as possible, especially if you are aiming to detox and purify your body. But tap water is better than no water.

Here are some simple tips to get you started on your water drinking quest:

* Drink two Nalgene bottles a day and keep some money in your pocket. Have you seen all those college students that walk around with Nalgene bottles? We could learn a lesson from them. Nalgene bottles are made from a thick material that does not impart or absorb flavors. So your water tastes good all day long. Make it your goal to finish two 32 ounce Nalgene water bottles a day (or another water bottle that is made from a durable plastic). Buy a couple so that you can rinse one while using the other. Filling your Nalgene bottle from your Brita or PUR water filters may also keep you from spending your spare change on disposable water bottles.

* Go slowly in the beginning and don't over saturate. Jumping from one glass to eight ove
ight can lead to many unwanted trips to the bathroom. Allow your body to adjust gradually by adding a little more water each day. Also try to sip your water all day long instead of guzzling a whole 16 or 32 ounce bottle when you suddenly realize that you haven't taken a sip all day. Think of yourself like a plant. If you over-water a plant, the water seeps right through. If you water it slowly, it actually absorbs and utilizes the water as a nutrient.

* Use a water schedule. Do you ever get so caught up with work that you look up and realize that hours have gone by and you haven't taken a bite of your lunch or a sip of your water? If this happens often, than you need a water schedule. Drink a glass of water before and after each meal, one in the morning and one in the evening. Presto, you can drink eight glasses without thinking about it.

* Add fruits and vegetables to make your water taste better. Spas have been making money on this secret for years. They offer beautiful glass water jugs full of floating lemons and cucumbers that cry out 'drink me'. Indulge yourself and throw some organic cucumbers and lemons into your Nalgene bottle before you head out the door. You'll find it much easier to finish that bottle, I promise.

Don't worry, over time your body will gradually adjust to drinking more water which means you'll naturally crave it and you'll take less trips to the bathroom.