Weekly Tip

Drink More Water Staying well hydrated may reduce your risk for diseases, including cancers of the colon, breast and bladder. In one study, women *****ported drinking more than five glasses of water a day had a 45 percent lower risk for colon cancer than those who drank two or fewer. How to Drink More Water Everyday There are a variety of reasons to drink plenty of water each day. Adequate water intake prevents dehydration, cleans out the body, and promotes healing processes. Substituting water for beverages high in calories can also help control weight. Follow the steps below to make sure you're getting enough of this most basic necessity. Determine how much water you need. You've probably heard the "8 X 8" rule--drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day--but the amount of water a person needs varies depending on his or her weight and activity level. A better way to determine your recommended water intake is to divide your weight (in pounds) by two. The resulting number is the number of ounces of water you need each day. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., strive to drink 75 ounces of water daily. Metric people should divide their weight in kilos by 30 - so somebody weighing 70kg is going to need 2.3 litres per day. Measure your daily intake of water. Do this for a few days. If you find that you're drinking less than the recommended quantity, try some of the following tips. Make it a habit to drink a sip of water between every bite while you're eating, but make sure this doesn't upset your stomach. If it does, reduce your fluid intake during meals to a level that you're physically comfortable with. Carry water with you everywhere you go in a bottle or other container. Before long, you'll find yourself reaching for it without a second thought. Keep a glass or cup of water next to you whenever you'll be sitting down for a long time, such as when you're at your desk at work. Drink from it regularly as you're working. Try wearing a digital watch that beeps at the beginning of each hour. Use that as a reminder to pour yourself a glass of water. Vow to drink tha****er before the next beep. If you drink only one small (6 ounce) cup per hour, you'll have consumed 48 ounces by the end of an 8-hour workday. Get a water purification system. Purified water tastes very good and may help make drinking water more appealing to you. Be aware, though, that as you grow accustomed to purified water, you may find that tap water leaves a bad taste in your mouth.