by Dr. Robert Kleckner

One resolution you can keep this year is as easy as drinking water. So why not have a glass?

Since our bodies are approximately 75% water, a consistent replenishing should be second nature, but it isn’t. We think of it the way we think about exercise, with reluctance. So let’s revolutionize how we approach hydration—it’s not just good for the body, it is absolutely essential. Drinking water is not an option, it is an integral part of looking and feeling good.

Why we should drink more water and fewer flavored beverages? Well, as far as the chemistry of the body is concerned, water and fluids are two different things. Today’s popular manufactured beverages contain chemicals that alter our body-chemistry at its control centers. Contrary to what we tell ourselves, a cup of coffee is not mostly water. It’s different.

Tea, coffee, sodas, and many other beverages are not water, nor do they replace the value of water. In fact, they are diuretics and pull water from the already depleted body. It takes approximately three 8 oz. glasses of water to counter the effects of 1 serving of tea, soda, coffee or alcohol. So if drinking more water doesn’t sound so appetizing, think of how much more you need to ingest after that latte.

Where does the recommended 8 glasses of water come from? Every twenty-four hours the body recycles the equivalent of forty thousand 8 oz. glasses of water just to maintain its basic physiological functions. Within this recycling process, the body produces a deficit of about six to ten glasses of water every day, and this deficit needs to be replenished. Based on this process, eight glasses should be sufficient—but is it accurate for everyone? The answer is no. Some doctors recommend a more individual approach based on weight, and opinions vary. But all will agree that 8 glasses is a pretty good start.

The fifth lumbar (a bone in the lower back) takes on 75% of the weight of the upper body. The middle of this disc (nucleus pulposis) acts as the shock absorber and is 90% water. That is a lot of weight for one disc to support. The nucleus pulposis relies on water to keep its shape and perform its function.

Think about this: Brain tissue is 85% water. The brain alone weighs about 2% of our total body weight, yet it takes 20% of our blood circulation. When the body is short of water, its systems go into a “rationing“ mode where the brain will always get it’s share, but at the cost of the other organs getting theirs. Chronic dehydration can lead to countless problems, some of them very serious.

If you wait until you’re thirsty to drink water, it’s too late: You are already dehydrated. You should be drinking water in eight or sixteen oz. portions, spaced throughout the day. “Dry mouth” is the last indication of dehydration, not the first. Drink often.

Try to drink a glass of water before meals; this helps in curb your urge to overeat. Drinking water before a meal also helps prepare the digestive tract, in turn reducing problems with gastritis, heartburn, peptic ulcer, colitis, or gas-producing indigestion. Water sure tastes better than antacid tablets, or chalky gas-reducing chewables.

You should drink water first thing in the morning to correct natural imbalances produced during sleep. It also diminishes constipation for individuals who do not eat enough fruit and fiber. Drinking water before you exercise seems natural—you’re going to get thirsty. But it also assists in the undetectable detoxification processes during physical exertion.

Shift your paradigm of wellness from a quick-fix, medication-first approach to health, to a vitalistic one which embraces the amazing, innate intelligence that each of our bodies possesses. Take responsibility for your own health and resist artificial remedies that don’t always restore.

The body is truly amazing. Think of all the punishment it takes on a daily basis. When we ask ourselves “What can I do today to improve my state of health?” most of us say diet, exercise, or both. The answer always seems to take on epic proportions.

I say, instead of—and in addition to—intense regimens of diet and exercise, drink some water. It’s really no sweat.

Dr. Kleckner is the owner of Sonoran Wellness Center in Glendale, AZ. He is a graduate of Sherman College of Chiropractic and holds a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado.