Ah – A great glass of drinking water! Drinking plenty of water each day prevents dehydration, cleans out the body and promotes healing processes. A steady diet of 8 glasses of water a day (ideally, half your body weight in ounces of water), when it’s pure and free of contaminants, will:
Improve your energy
Remove toxins and waste products from your body
Allow for proper digestion
Increase your mental and physical performance
Help you lose weight
Reduce headaches and dizziness
Keep skin healthy and glowing
There is a difference between drinking pure water and beverages that contain water. Coffee, soft drinks, tea and fruit beverages may contain substances that are not only harmful, but actually contradict some of the positive effects of the added water. For each cup of coffee you consume, your body needs 3 cups of water to compensate for the water loss that occurs due to coffee’s diuretic effect. Other caffeinated beverages, such as soft drinks and tea, also stimulate the adrenal glands and act as diuretics, robbing your body of necessary water. Soft drinks contain phosphorus, which can lead to depletion of bone calcium, and various acids, which can cause erosion of the enamel on your teeth. A 12-ounce can of regular soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of white sugar and loads of empty calories. Fruit beverages or drinks such as PowerAde, Gatorade, lemonade, etc. may be fortified with vitamins or calcium, but usually has 10% or less real fruit juice. Sugar is the added sweetener. If you are drinking too much of these beverages daily, you may be unknowingly adding extra unwanted pounds to your waistline.
