To be well hydrated is to drink enough water.  There are ten benefits of a well-hydrated body:

• Weight loss – flushes out fats and toxins.
• Temperature control – helps you sweat which cools the body.
• Balanced mood – aids body and brain function which relates to moods and emotions.
• Skin Elasticity – keeps your skin moist, supple & elastic. Helps lesson issues such as dermatitis, aging skin and infections.
• Aids in Digestion – water in your saliva aids your body in digestion.
• Bowel Function –aids in the elimination of waste making bowel and urination possible.
• Better Immune Health – fights off illnesses by improving the lymph fluid in the immune system. Also helps with headaches, joint, muscles, fatigue and lightheaded symptoms
• Joint Lubrication – surrounds your joints, spinal cord, brain and eyes.
• Memory Function – improves blood flow & oxygen to the brain.
• Muscle Efficiency – keeps them strong and lubricated. H2O aids in the transportation of oxygen so they are prepared to be exerted.

There are six types of water.

• Bottled: According to the Consumer Reports 40% of bottled water is straight from a faucet! It may be purified, but it’s still tap and expensive tap.  It comes in plastic with resins that may disrupt hormones.  Some studies believe that BPA is partially to blame for obesity because it mimics estrogen and other hormones.
• Oxygenated: Its hype is that it claims to improve the performance of your muscles by boosting oxygen to them. This sounds good but has little or no impact on exercise performance according to a Penn State Sports Medicine newsletter. It never reaches your muscles.  You open the bottle, some oxygen escapes and the rest is absorbed into the walls of your stomach and digestive tract. No scientific proof and you pay a lot for it.
• Vitamin: Do we need to get vitamins from water? No! That’s what food is for. What you also get is sugar or artificial sweeteners and maybe some food coloring.  And it’s in a BPA bottle!
• Alkaline: Don’t waste your money. Drinking this water won’t make your blood more alkaline or neutral.  Your blood pH is controlled by the lungs and kidneys. Very overhyped and priced!
• Spring or Artesian: This can be contaminated too. It’s not usually bottled from its source but pumped into a tank and sent to a bottling facility. It might be chlorinated also. The plus is it might contain more natural minerals than what comes from your tap.  It also comes in a plastic bottle.
• Tap: is treated with chlorine, but levels are pretty low & sometimes prescription drugs are also found in low levels. If you’re concerned, a water purifier is a great investment. Bottled water costs add up and with what you spend a month you could buy a purifier.  Is it worth it? If your water has a strange taste or smells it might be.

Get away from plastic water bottles and use a stainless steel bottle.  Don’t like the taste or non-taste of water, add slices of cucumbers or strawberries to it.  You don’t have to buy fancy water!