's motd Tuesday April 12, 2011

[Guest guest]

WATER PUSHERS

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

My parents

Leonard and Shirley were big water drinkers. And,

I'll add, they were regular "Water Pushers," too.

Yep, every morning, there was always a glass of

water at my brother, Lenny's and my table setting.

And that glass of water accompanied the daily

vitamins our parents made sure we had.

And oh, my

father would watch Lenny and I like a hawk, making

sure we finished those glasses of water he'd put on

the table for us. Once we finished a glass, our

father would make sure to refill it with more water.

I always drank good-old tap water at lunch time.

There was a water fountain in our school's play yard

that I just loved. The water you drank from it was

always ice-cold. I loved taking an empty cup with

me at recess so I could fill it up with a frosty cup

of water from that fountain. Later that evening, at

home, there would also be another glass of water at

the dinner table for Lenny and I.

I've never had a problem drinking water. But I know

some people who don't particularly like to drink

water at all. Some of them even consider water

"boring." And to make it easier to drink, they'll

add some flavored crystals from the supermarket to

make it sweet.

Ask any

dietician out there and they'll tell you what I've

been telling you for decades. And that is, you must

drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water each day. And

if you're especially active during these warmer

months, you really should add two more glasses of

water to your daily intake.

You see, there's a little "swimming pool" inside

that body of yours. And what do I mean by that?

Well, truth is, your body is made up of about 60%

water. And every system of your body, every

one of your body's functions depends on water to do

their jobs. Lots of people E-mail and ask if they

can count their morning cup of coffee or glass of

orange juice as water. Well, the answer is no.

Your body wants that water in its purest form.

And by the way, you want to watch the amount of

coffee you're drinking . So many people begin their

days not with just a cup of coffee but with more

like a whole pot. (Oh, my!) And yes,

while juice and sodas contain water, they don't

count toward meeting that daily eight, 8-ounce

glasses of water I told you about earlier.

Now lets get serious for a minute. I'm looking at a

little chart I pulled up from the Mayo Clinic web

site and let's face it, when it comes to good

health, those Mayo Clinic people know it all.

LOL. The Mayo folks tell us that when we drink the

right amount of water each day, it regulates our

body's temperature, which is important all by

itself. But did you know that water also helps

lubricate the joints inside your body? And that

lubrication enables your body to move more freely

and comfortably.

But wait,

I'm not done. Water moistens your body's tissues

such as those in your mouth, eyes and nose. Water

also protects your body's organs. It lessens the

burden on your kidneys, keeping them strong and

clean, flushing waste products out of your body.

Did you know drinking plenty of water helps reduce

the occurrence of constipation?

And here's something else...and I think this benefit

of water is a pretty fancy one. Water carries

nutrients and oxygen to all of your body's cells. It

helps dissolve the nutrients your body takes in

so it can more efficiently put those good-for-you

nutrients to work for you.

Whew! Did you get enough good information

about the importance of water from me today? I hope

you'll think of all these great things the next time

you turn a glass of ice-cold water up to your lips.

As for me, I love the way water feels when it's

going down my throat. It sure isn't boring to me!

Yep, I carry on my parents tradition with water

every day of my life. I always have two glasses in

the morning and keep a glass of water on my desk

while I'm working. I also drink water with my

evening meal.

I take my

water intake seriously because one day I didn't

drink enough and it got very, very hot here in Los

Angeles. And because I'd been so careless about how

much water I drank that day, I became dehydrated and

suddenly very ill. I ended up in the hospital

because I had no energy and could hardly stand. And

you know that doesn't sound like me!

Trust me, I learned my lesson!

Now, the next time you set the table for your

family, be like my parents and be a Water

Pusher! Pour glasses of water for every

member of your family and hey, watch 'em like a

hawk until they drink every drop!

Love,