"I'm dying of thirst"!

Water is all around us. It is in our lakes, our rivers and our swimming pools. But without enough of it in our body, we could quite literally die of thirst.
It is estimated that a person can go a few weeks without food, but only a few days without water before some adverse health effects start to take hold. Signs of dehydration include: short-term memory loss, trouble focusing your vision, difficulty with basic problem solving skills and ultimately, dehydration can lead to death. Now, these are extreme signs and symptoms that might show up after a long summer's day in the sun without much to drink, but our body also goes through negative changes if we are not properly hydrated on a daily basis.
By not properly hydrating yourself you could be sabotaging your diet. Without proper hydration, the body enters a state of starvation and will not allow your body to burn those extra calories you have consumed.
Drinking an adequate amount of water each day can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Water can also play a major role in back pain. When we do not get enough water, our intervertebral discs that act as cushions between our vertebrae lose some of their height, which reduces the amount of space the spinal nerves have to exit the spine. When these nerves are impinged upon it can cause back pain.

So the question then becomes, how much water should I be drinking each day? The recommendation that I give to my patients is half of your body weight in ounces per day. It seems like a lot, but get a Nalgene bottle and fill it up a few times and you will be at your goal in no time. Water is an amazing substance and getting enough in your diet is a great step towards a healthier you.