Shaping Up

1. Drink Plenty of Water Water is the nutrient that your body needs most. Still, many of us don’t get nearlv enough, even though it is cheap and plentiful. Adjusting your water intake can improve your complexion and skin elasticity, reduce joint pains and headaches, and improve digestion and elimination. Drinking water throughout the day also keeps your stomach feeling full and reduces the desire to eat. If that isn’t enough to convince you, consider that not drinking enough water can make you fat. Hidden thirst can make you think you’re hungry when you’re actually thirsty. New research shows that a decrease in water may cause your body’s fat deposits to increase. When you don’t drink enough water, your body secretes a hormone, aldosterone, which causes you to retain fluid. But how much water is enough? As a rule of thumb, we should drink about one quart of pure water for every 50 pounds of body weight each day. Other beverages don’t count! Nor does water consumed with food or during exercise. The easiest way to achieve this goal is to get in the habit of carrying a water bottle with you, and sipping on it throughout the day.