I am going to share with you a simple way to save $1000 this year.

Drink more water.

Carbonated beverage companies estimate that the average American consumes 3 soda pops a day. 

Lets do some math:

3 bottles a day purchases at your local convenience store for $1.09 x 365 days a year = $1193.55

WOW!

Water is essential for life, but we often take it for granted.

The Academy of Integrative Medicine has reported:

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated
• 37% of Americans  the thirst mechanism is so weak it is mistaken for hunger
• Lack of water is the Number ONE trigger of daytime fatigue
  

Water is such a simple thing that we overlook.  How many people feel that afternoon drag
around 3pm (or in the middle of your workday)?  There are no water reservoirs in the body,
therefore, appropriate intake is a necessity.  Currently dry mouth is the only recognized and accepted
sign of dehydration, but this signal is the last outward sign of extreme dehydration.  Basically, that means
if you are thirsty right now you are really dehydrated and should go get a glass of water. 

Now make no mistake just because a beverage is wet does not mean it counts as water.  Soda pop, coffee, tea
all are wet but they don't count as pure water and you should factor that in to your daily consumption.

Lets review some benefits of water:

• Water is a solvent for digesting food
• carries nutrients to and waste from cells
• required for breathing
• a cushion for the joints
• a lubricant for moving parts
• a regulator of body temperature
  
• Metabolic rate increases with water consumption (1)
  
• After drinking 17 ounces of water the subjects' metabolic rate increased 30% within 30-40 minutes (1)
  
• People drinking more than five glasses of water per day were less likely to die from a heart attack than those who drank fewer than two glasses a day (2)
  

(1) Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism; December 2003
(2) American Journal of Epidemiology; May 1, 2004

Common signs of dehydration are:

• Headache
• Pain
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• High blood pressure

How much water do we need?
Most experts agree that we need to drink at least six to eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day.
There are some methods of figuring out water requirements:

• divide the body weight by two, that is the number of ounces that you should consume per day. 
  
• For a 160 pound person that is 80 ounces of water a day or ten 8 ounce glasses
• You can aslo check out www.bottledwater.org for a hydration calculator

I know what you are going to say, are you out of your mind!  I hate water! 

Tell me how much water you consume in a day.  Do you have any tips for people that have trouble
converting from carbonated beverages or coffee to pure water?  What did I miss that you feel is important?


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