The small change Top 10 DAILY Countdown to Wellness - Tip # 6: Drink at least 6 eight-ounce glasses of water each day!

“No water, no life. Know water, know life!”

What’s the first liquid you consume when you wake up in the morning?

For me, it’s always water. After an overnight fast, hydrating my body with water first thing in the morning triggers muscle contractions in my stomach and gives my digestive process a boost, helping to flush out toxins from the previous day. Usually, one 16-ounce bottle gets things circulating and trains my bowels to move on schedule.

I like to keep my water intake simple. Besides starting my day with water, I aim for at least 16 ounces with every meal – I tend to eat less as a result. I keep a bottle by my bedside in case I wake up in the middle of the night with a dry cough. There’s always water in my car so I can down a bottle after I walk. When I eat salty or sweet snacks, I wash them down with water.

Although the recommendations for daily water intake can vary based on age, gender, activity level, and climate, a common guideline is generally 6 - 8 eight-ounce glasses per day. Your body is approximately 60% water, so it’s essential to stay hydrated.

By all health measures, water should be recognized as the “miracle medicine.” Unlike other medications that can be costly and sometimes difficult to obtain, water is easily accessible, affordable, and has no side effects. No medicine can stand on these claims.

Why should we drink more water? In addition to aiding in the digestion of food and preventing constipation:

· Water supports kidney function – the kidneys are 79% water!

· Water improves skin health - the skin is 64% water!!

· Water lubricates joints and muscles – the muscles are 79% water!

· Water improves cognitive functioning – the brain is 73% water!

· Water regulates body temperature!

· Water enhances physical performance!

· Water helps maintain a healthy weight!

· Water boosts the immune system!

While writing my wellness tip this week, I remembered dining out with a young friend with diabetes, a young man I've known most of his life. When we placed our orders, he chose a soda to go with his meal. I asked him why he didn’t want water, and he told me he just didn’t like the taste.

So I did one of my wellness reality checks. I asked him: "Have you ever imagined what it would be like to lie in a hospital bed, too weak to drink, while bag after bag of saline drips into your veins - and you don’t get to decide when you’ve had enough - the doctor decides. Do you think you would like that?

“Or,” …I said… “Picture this: you're in an oversized recliner at a dialysis clinic. For three to four hours, three days a week, you watch 30-40 gallons of water flow through tubes connected to your arm, neck, or chest? How do you think you would feel? You see, right now, you have a choice - you can drink a glass of water whenever you want. Dialysis patients lose that choice- they have to monitor their water intake.”

He was silent for a few moments, and when the server brought us our drinks, he looked at me, smirked, and switched his order to water – with lemon, my go-to when I’m dining out. A couple of slices enhance the taste and add a little Vitamin C boost!

I let my friend know he didn’t have to give up soda completely, but assured him that the more water he drank, the less he would crave sugary drinks that have no nutritional value.

How many sugary beverages do you consume a day, a week? Are you living with a medical condition or predisposing yourself to developing one due to inadequate water intake?

Now’s a good time to turn things around, and the small change ABC-123 Goal-Setting Strategy can help:

Acknowledge your desire to drink more water and fewer sugary beverages.

Believe you can adjust to drinking plain water.

Commit to making 3 small changes to increase your water consumption (don’t worry about the amount right now). Start small:

1) Drink water first thing in the morning

2) Drink water with each meal

3) Drink water with your snacks

Remember, the body can go for three weeks without food, but only three days without water. So, next time you take a sip, know that you’re not just quenching your thirst—you’re giving your body a dose of nature’s “miracle medicine.” Your body will thank you for it!

Be grateful for Water; Be Well!

Do you or someone you know need help managing a chronic medical condition? Contact me at smallchange@myrtlerussell.com.

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