Published: May 29, 2007 04:01 pm      

H20000hhh!

Somerset — Yes, I know I should drink more water. It’s just that it’s a matter of taste — as in, it doesn’t have any.

Yes, I’ve been told that sounds ridiculous. Everything has a taste. Water just tastes like water, right? It's hard to explain — it's kind of like saying that white is a color. Sure it is. But it’s ... white. There’s nothing there. So give me a choice between drinking something that may be natural and pure and good for me — and completely without flavor — and something that might have all kinds of sugar and sodium and everything else that gets demonized in the health community, yet makes me smile when it hits my taste buds, and guess which one I'll pick every time? Hint: not the water.

I actually really like the sports drinks that are enhanced or just the regular old flavored bottled waters — lemon, raspberry, that sort of thing. Sparkling water's not bad either. But these all have extra stuff in them that keep them from being as pure as possible. They aren't what’s recommended by the people who usually try to get you to drink more water.

And drinking from the tap? Please. I'm much too paranoid for that. Nevermind the fact that people do it all the time and don't seem any worse for the wear. I’m not filling up my cup at the faucet without a water purifier attached to it.

That said, I feel like the universe is trying to tell me that maybe I should be doing it a little more. A family member recently reported a significant weight loss with the only change in her diet being an increase in the amount of straight-up water consumed daily. And after a recent massage, the therapist instructed me to drink plenty of water to flush the toxins that had just been released from my system.

In fact, there are a number of reasons to drink water. Despite flushing toxins and keeping us from getting dehydrated, studies have indicated that drinking over five glasses of water a day can help prevent heart problems — like heart disease or a heart attack. That's according to the American Journal of Epidemiology. Other reports say water helps promote kidney health, and it even moisturizes your skin.

There are two generally considered ways to measure how much water you get. We’ve all heard the old “eight glasses” a day rule. Another is to drink half your body weight in ounces daily. Sound like a lot? Consider how much of your body is composed of water — about two-thirds. Just think of proper hydration as a form of “body building.”

Some people I know swear by oxygenated water — enhanced water designed to, you guessed it, boost the oxygen in your blood. There are certainly skeptics within the medical community who say oxygenated has no proven benefits along these lines. But look at it this way: if you think oxygenated water might be for you, there's likely no harm in at least

trying it.

But unless you're someone who carries on a regularly active lifestyle, water isn’t always that big a part of your daily routine — if you're anything like me, that is. Coke and tea aren't just tastier, they're more convenient. Indeed, it's been a bit of a chore whenever I stop at the convenient store to choose the bottle of water over the bottle of cola — but I know even if I do it just at those times, it's better than not at all. And then I work up from there to where I'm supposed to be.

Let’s call it a resolution for a new year: I'm gonna drink more water. It won't be the easiest thing I've ever done, given my habits, but medical science tells me I’ll be better off in the long run if I do. And like I said, I’m mostly water anyway — who am I to deny what I am?

Drink up. It's good for you. n