Water. Two hydrogen molecules, one oxygen molecule. It's 90% of what we are made of. It serves as the the temperature regulator, the internal organ lubricant, and helps the viscosity of our blood move throughout our body. Water is important; never forget this basic principle.
The minute you wake up you're already dehydrated. You've slept an entire night without water. Your last beverage was probably after dinner, and it probably wasn't water. And going into your last meal of the day, you were probably dehydrated. Before you've even started your day, you're in the negative.
Side effects of dehydration first thing in the morning includes headache, nausea, and improper (full) evacuation in the bathroom. Sound familiar? Well, by starting your day off with a minimum of 24 ounces of room temperature water, you can change your life.
Why room temperature, you ask? Well, because room temperature water is immediately absorbed, whereas cold water requires the body to work harder and heat up the water before it's even digested. Make your body work smarter, not harder.
Now, what is the "magic number" for the amount ounces each person is required to drink per day? Again, this will vary from person to person, but the absolute minimum is one gallon (approximately five liters) of water per day.
Seems like a lot? Let's go back to our goal-setting concept we spoke of last week. We must walk before we can run, and we must crawl before we can walk. Setting baby steps towards what we think are "unrealistic" or "unattainable"goals, will help us overcome these hurdles. So let's apply this to our water consumption, too.
If you only drink one liter per day, for the next week, increase it by one liter for a total of two liters. The following week, increase by another liter. By the end of three weeks, the time it takes to form a habit, you will be 2/3 towards your ultimate goal of five liters, without feeling like you're drowning.
Water is water. Coffee, sugar-infused drinks, soda, smoothies, and energy drinks do not count as water. In fact, for every one non-water beverage you consume, you must add an additional liter of water to help detox your system of the chemicals and sugar additives that have been so kindly added to your system.
