- Drink smaller amounts every couple hours rather than
two or three large doses a day. - Have a water bottle near you at all times, and get into the
habit of drinking water. Especially keep water near your
immediate area during work hours or where you spend
much of your time (at your desk, by the phone, in your
car). - Avoid carbonated water as your main source; the carbon-
ation may cause intestinal distress. - Get used to drinking water before and immediately after
exercise. If you exercise for more than about an hour,
drink small amounts of water during the workout. - Learn to drink water without swallowing air — drink
slowly and without tilting your head up and back. - Remember that the average person may need about three
quarts of water each day. - Avoid chlorinated and fluoridated water.
In addition to the above recommendations, get used to drinking
water as your main source of liquid. While it’s true you obtain some
of your water needs through food and other beverages, most should
come from plain water, consumed between meals. Certain drinks
such as coffee, tea and alcohol can actually increase your need for
water because of their diuretic effect (causing the body to lose water).
So don’t count these beverages as part of your water intake. (Even
decaf coffee and tea can contain small amounts of caffeine.)
Is Your Water Safe?
Only 1 percent of the world’s water is safe to drink. Today, more peo-
ple are questioning not only the quality of their drinking water, but
the container it comes in. If you are concerned about your health, you
should not just assume your water is safe to drink — you need to take
active steps to find out for sure. And if there is a problem you need to
correct it. Most contaminants in water fall into four categories:
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE • 121