Water,Water, Water!

I can't stress enough the importance of water for proper nutrition and health.  Whether you are living an active lifestyle or not water is the single most abundant nutrient in the body.  Our bodies are made up of 75-80% water which means yes we need to drink plenty of water each day because our bodies also lose water.  About four years ago I started suffering from kidney stones.  I know have them chronically getting them every 3-4 months and let me tell you they are far from fun.  Many people say it is the equivalent to giving birth.  When I went to my specialist he did a diet analysis and we targeted the things that we thought may have been producing the kidney stones in my urinary tract.  I have always been a water drinker but when he told me that I needed to drink at least 3-4 quarts of water,  I looked at him like he was nuts.  There was no way I could down that much water in a day.  Well today I down about that much if not way more especially on my heavy cardio days.  The first thing I do in the morning is head for a glass of water!  Drinking water with every meal, snack, and at my desk helps me accomplish this.  I basically never go anywhere without my water bottle.   So many people don't drink water because it has no flavor and it is much easier to grab for a soda or juice.  Sodas and juices are packed full of sugars that actually can dehydrate the body.  At times I too get bored with water.  I will drink green tea from time to time and of course coffee in the morning.  You can make water taste better by adding stuff to it my favorite is the juice from a fresh lemon or lime. Other things that are good are mint leaves, frozen fruits such as peaches or strawberries.  I also like to add a splash of all nautral cranberry juice.  Water doesn't have to be completely boring.  I also use a water bottle throughout the day that has measurments on it so I can track how much water I drink.  By drinking more water throughout the day I have noticed I don't get those mid morning or mid afternoon hunger attacks and I tend to eat less when I sit down to have a meal.  Sometimes a headache or a growling stomach can be subsided just by drinking some water.  Its our body's way of telling us we are thirsty. Water works with the blood to help filter out the poisons and bad chemicals from our bodies.  Like helping our kidneys filter out waste products so you don't produce kidney stones or develop other health problems.  The oxygen in water also helps to enhance healthy hair and nail growth and leads to a glowing complexion. I do spin classes about 3-4 times a week and for every minute you are on the bike you should drink one ounce water.  So if you do 45 minutes then drink 45 ounces of water.  This helps you to replenish the water lost while you are sweating!  If you lift weights drinking more water will help to synthesize protein which is essential for building muscle.  I have greatly increased my protein intake since I started lifting weights.  By increasing my water intake it will help my kidneys to flush out the extra toxins that may accumulate from a high protein diet.  Not that a high protein diet is bad for you it is actually very beneficial just increase your water intake.  Drinking more water can help your body from retaining water.  One of the main reasons your body holds on to water is because it isn't getting enough and when you finally feed it to your body it holds onto it often storing it around your midsection.  The digestive system breaks down food more efficiently when you are well hydrated which means you will be more regular.  I could go on for days about the health benefits of water!