Water...

You have to have it. You die without it.

If you don't have enough you become dehydrated and die.

If you drink too much, you drown your organs and you die.

Now that I've started your day so cheerily, I'll dig into the nitty-gritty.

Recently, on facebook, a poster went around about using water to help with weight loss.

Drink 2 cups first thing in the morning. You haven't had any water all night, and you're dehydrated. So rehydrate.

Drink 1 cup of water before each meal. This will help curb your appetite because water takes up space.

That takes you up to at least 5 cups a day.

I've listened to the expert advice, over the years, and if you've been following along recently, you know how I feel about expert advice on eating *pfft*

As a child, I was often sick with kidney infections. It improved for several years, then I had an infection in my early 20s so severe I landed in the hospital. The doctors were sure I'd be out within 24 hours. Three days of an IV in my hand and they finally released me. I NEVER wanted to go through that again. I learned what I had to do.

I must drink 6-8 cups of water every day, without fail. I've fudged on occasion, but I'm quick to make up for it. There have been a few times when I wasn't sure if I was headed toward another infection, but I'd drink orange juice and cranberry juice, dousing my system with vitamin C. I haven't had an infection in decades. Go me.

Anyway, I've tried the above water schedule, and I'm finding it works well for me. It's easy to slip in the addition 1-3 cups throughout the rest of the day.

Helpful hint I picked up years ago: If you are feeling hungry, drink some water first. You may be thirsty.

Interesting fact: Your body is made of 60-70% water. Infants may be as high as 75%, while adults drift down to 57-60%. Thank you wiki.answers.

Important to remember: (Simplified so I understand) Your body sends signals via an internal electrical current, a chemical reaction which needs water to operate properly. Dehydration interferes with the processes.

Easy tip to know if you're dehydrated: Pinch your skin. If it pops right back into place, you're probably hydrated. If it holds or returns to normal slowly, you may be dehydrated.

Drinking water dilutes electrolytes. Your body makes its own, but if you've been sweating or drinking too much water, you may be low and need to replace them. I prefer Smart Water because it doesn't include the sugar Gatorade does. When I was working my horse every day I kept Gatorade on hand. I could tell by the taste whether or not I'd had enough. It would taste good when I needed it and bitter when I didn't.

Listen to your body.

We are taught from an early age to ignore our body's signals. You have to eat when scheduled, in the allotted time.

I'm trying to teach myself to take care of myself, but it means I have to teach myself to listen to my body. Practice. Lots of practice.

Final thought: I don't care what the studies say about bottled water being no different from tap water. When I had my horse I discovered I was more likely to drink more water if I froze it, at least during the summer. I liked my water cold. I was drinking the local water at the time. Then a cousin pointed out the water had a musty smell. I invested in Water N Ice. It's a reverse osmosis purification system. My allergies improved, and I'm much better about drinking my water. I also don't need it iced to tolerate it. Something I did for a while was buy a lemon and slice it a bit at a time and put the slice in my water pitcher. Why pay for someone else to flavor your water? I have pretty 6-cup pitcher I fill and empty every day. I also have an two-cup mug that says: Home is where your dog is. (Thanks Ruth!) Do whatever you have to do.