Drink Water

Current Weight: 229 lbs.
Change 5: Drink 62 - 91 ounces of water a day.

Our bodies are made up mostly of water; however, it is easy to become dehydrated, especially living in Arizona. While it is a myth that your body doesn’t feel thirsty until long after you are already dehydrated, by drinking a regular amount of water each day, you can prevent yourself from becoming dehydrated. When you urinate, your urine should be clear enough to see through it. If you cannot, then that’s a sign that you are becoming dehydrated.

Water has 0 calories, so as a drink, there is none better when you are trying to lose weight. It also clears toxins from your body and is an appetite suppressant. A common trick is to drink 8 ounces of water whenever you have the urge to eat, and then wait 15 minutes before eating anything. If, after the 15 minutes, you are still hungry, have another glass of water.

The latest dietary reference intake report by the United States National Research Council in general recommended 2.7 liters of water (96 fluid ounces) total for women and 3.7 liters (125 fluid ounces) for men, from all beverages and foods. The average person takes in about 1 liter (34 fluid ounces) of water through the foods they eat each day. That leaves about 62 ounces for women, and 91 ounces for men that you still need to ingest.

Water is also a diuretic. That means that it elevates the rate of bodily urine excretion. It does this by inhibiting vasopressin secretion. Arginine vasopressin is a hormone that is released when your body is low on water. It causes your kidneys to conserve water, but not salt, by reducing urine volume or concentrating your urine. Vasopressin also raises blood pressure by causing your blood vessels to narrow.

Tap Water Vs. Bottled Water
Typically the only difference between bottled water and tap water, other than the price, is the amount of nitrates and chlorine in the water. Chlorine is used in larger amounts in tap water to keep the amount of nitrates down, whereas in bottled water, there is less chlorine, and it can have up to the US federal limit of nitrates. This affects the taste of water, so while bottled water may taste better to most people, it can be less healthy for you.