Drink Water

Water is often overlooked when we talk about nutrition and health. We need water so much that we could only live a few days with no water intake of any kind.

Where do we get water? We get some from the food we eat, maybe up to 20% of the water we need comes from food. The beverages we drink contain water too, just stay away from the sugar sweetened drinks that have a lot of calories and no nutrition. Of course, the best source of water is plain drinking water. Water has no calories, it's readily available, and water is cheap.

Water is often over-looked as a nutrient. It has been my experience that people who do not drink enough water often feel lethargic, have headaches, muscle aches and cramps. Many people do not know how much water they really need during a day. If you are getting enough water, your urine should be very light colored (almost clear) and you probably will be urinating more frequently than you are used to.

Although you can get some of your water need from the foods you eat, the best source for water is plain, fresh drinking water. Herbal (non-diuretic) teas, low-sugar soy beverages, rice beverages and milk are also good sources. Fruit juices are OK unless they have added sugar. Sugary soft drinks, canned or dry soups with high levels of sodium, caffeinated coffee or tea, and alcoholic beverages aren't as good.

There are some occasions when drinking too much water can be a problem:

* If you have any kidney or adrenal problems, or your doctor has you taking diuretics, you need to consult with your doctor about how much water to drink each day.

* Don't drink all of the water you need per day in one sitting. Divide the amount you need and drink that amount throughout the day. This is especially important if you engage in lots of heavy exercise.

* Infants should be given just formula or breast milk unless your pediatrician tells you otherwise.