motd Friday April 16, 2010

[Guest guest]

GULP!

Friday, 16 April 2010

I was not much of a water drinker when I was a kid. I drank orange juice in the morning, milk at lunch, then two or three Cokes during the day. And oh, maybe a milkshake on occasion. At dinner, I'd have a glass of iced tea. There were no water glasses on our dinner table. I guess you could say we were pretty much a "waterless" family.

That was until my mother read somewhere how important it is to drink lots of water everyday. According to the article, water improves your skin's complexion, is great for the health and sheen of your hair and even aids in weight-loss. Well, it wasn't long before water became an important beverage in the household. We had a glass of water at breakfast, and out came the water glasses on our dining room table at dinner time. My mother even started carrying a glass of water with her as she went from room-to-room in the house. And even though I drank a few glasses of water a day, I couldn't stand it. (I had no choice at home because my mother insisted I drink it.)But as soon as I went off to school, I'd go right back to my Cokes and milkshakes! (Sometimes I'd have them together. You know, my own little version of a Coca-Cola float.)

When I moved here to Los Angeles in the 70's, people were guzzling water. Not just plain-old water, either. They were drinking all kinds of fancy, expensive bottled waters imported from all over the world.At the same time, I began remembering what my mother used to say about the importance of drinking enough water. And it all began making sense to me. Now I keep eight glasses of water in my refrigerator at all times. (It's my own little system that helps me make sure I'm getting all of the water I need everyday.) By bedtime, I've consumed every glass of that water. And when I'm on the road, there's always a bottle of water tucked away under my arm.Like my mother used to teach me, teaching you about the importance of water consumption is not new. I've been preaching to you about drinking lots of water for a very long time. So...do you drink enough water? Eight eight-ounce glasses a day?

And now that the weather is getting warmer, your body uses more water than it does during the cooler months. Plus, because your body is using more water, it's more important than ever for you to replace it.When a lot of people get sick, one of the reasons they may feel ill is because they've allowed their bodies to get dehydrated. Remember, there's water contained in every single cell of your body. In fact, your body is made up of over 60% water. Hey...you're a walking mini-ocean! So when you're out walking in the hot weather, you need to drink more water. And if you're staying at home doing a workout DVD, these days especially, you need to drink more water.

Now I know there're lots of waters that now come in fruit flavors or even contain sweeteners to make drinking them more palatable. But I say the best way to have your water is to...drink it plain! (The way Mother Nature made it.) I have two Britta water filters in my kitchen and I'm constantly refilling them. You know what? Looks like my mother was right about water. Drinking it really does improve your skin, your hair and help with your weight-loss. Thank You, Shirley...my sweet little mermaid!Start gulping that water!Love,