Washington, DC - I know I drank too many soft drinks as a kid and even as s young adult. My grandpa's store was just across the road and I drank too many Pepsi Colas, Dr Peppers and various other soft drinks. As a young adult I drank plenty of diet drinks for a long time. I'm not totally soda pop free but I doubt that I drink one a month now. Summer is here with outings and picnics so I'll probably have a couple but I'm trying to stay with water and even cut back on coffee.
Soda pop is a tough one to overcome. I've seen people in recent years hang to diet pop right until they were almost dead. Even with failing kidneys and dialysis some people just cannot bring themselves to drink water. This is a serious mistake. Today's adults must wake up to the dangers of drinking too much soda pop. You don't need one every day. You would be better off to limit your soda to one or two a week. Unfortunately people almost live with a diet drink or even a sugary drink in their hands.
Drinking water every day is very important. My doctor told me to drink 50 to 64 ounces every day. This seems like a lot of water but a 20 ounce bottle doesn't really take long to consume. The actual amount of water intake for everybody is a bit different depending on how much coffee, fruit and vegetables you are already taking in daily.
From everydayhealth.com I read that our bodies use water in all cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because our bodies lose water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. And then from webmd.com, "Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature."
Water is the second most popular beverage in the U.S. after soft drinks. This is a scary stat, since sugary soda is a huge health hazard, upping the risk of obesity, stroke, and other heart problems. However, these dangers can be avoided if people choose to drink water. Consider today putting the sugary stuff to the side and make water the number one drink of choice. The benefits really are endless.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is the author of 12 books. His syndicated column is read in all 50 states.
