Every morning before setting off to go to work you probably drink at least a cup of coffee and perhaps, if you are conscious with your diet, you begin your day with a glass of water at room temperature and a drop of lemon. But, during the day, with a coffee spot on every corner and a vending machine in every office building and school, you seem to forget that your organism needs the most precious of all the liquids you may or may not consume; water.



Actually, with the deteriorating dietary and drinking habits, people seem to be dehydrated and not even know about it. In fact, the most important ingredient of a healthy lifestyle might be missing from the daily list of things we consume, just because a cup of coffee can wake us up, or an ice-cold soda can give us the sugary taste we want. But, if you feel fatigue, moodiness, or drained, and of course that you are always thirsty, then you probably are dehydrated and you have not even realized it. In fact, what has surprised me numerous times is when I am out with friends and I hear someone complain of being thirsty. While the 'normal' reaction would be to order a glass of water from the bar, I am amazed when a soda, a coffee or even an alcohol beverage arrives instead of a glass full of water.

Did you know that 45 to 75 percent of the human weight is actually from water and that your body's muscles are 75 percent water based? If not and this is the first time you have read this fact, then you probably should do some homework before getting to sleep tonight. As little as 1 percent loss of water can translate to an increase in core temperature during exercise, while if you loose more than 7 percent of water, then you most probably will collapse.

Thus, keeping yourself hydrated and adding at least 6 to 8 glasses of water to your daily liquid intake, can save your body from fatigue, pains and dehydration. More specifically, your weight divided by 2 for the number of ounces you should drink each day -there are eight ounces in a cup, so divide by eight to get the number of cups.

Most importantly, remember that water intake, although it comes also from other fluids and food consumption has to remain constant. Drink water every day and drink it whether you feel thirsty or not. A good tactic is to bring a water bottle with you everywhere and fill it as often as necessary. Do not judge how much water you need to drink only by examining when you are thirsty and remember to drink more than the recommended daily dose, if you are overweight, exercise or the environment you live and work is hot. Finally, avoid caffeine as much as possible, since it dehydrates your organism and do not drink water with meals; drink red wine or milk instead.