Why should you drink water? There are several reasons why you should. First it is essential for life. Your body is 50-70 percent water. Blood is mostly water. So are brains and muscle. Because water does not have any calories, drinking water is one way to limit calories. How can you increase your intake of water? Here are some suggestions:

*Drink water whenever you get thirsty. Lots of people prefer cold water so keep a pitcher handy in the refrigerator.

*Choose water when you are eating out. Restaurants usually don’t charge for water.

*Serve water with your meals at home.

*Use a large glass for water and a small glass for juice or milk.

Do you have someone in your family who just doesn’t care for the taste of water? Then here are some options for you:

*Add slices of lime, lemon, cucumber or watermelon to the glass of water. All add flavor with a few calories.

Add a splash of 100% juice to plain sparkling water for a refreshing, low calorie drink.

How much water do you need each day? In general doctors recommend 8 or 9 cups per day. One way to think of this is the eight by eight rule. Eight, eight ounce glasses of fluids a day. Any fluid you drink counts toward the total of 64 ounces per day. Although this method is not supported by scientific evidence, many people use this easy to remember rule for how much water and other fluids they should drink.

Source: Iowa Extension Service, Chez Charles Newsletter, January 2011.