Canada's Food Guide suggests that people drink water regularly. It can satisfy thirst and promote hydration without adding calories to the diet. Water is essential to life; all your body's chemical reactions take place in water. Your body's tissue, for example, is 75 percent water. Your blood is almost entirely water, your bones are 20 percent and your brain is up to 70 percent water. Your skin is also affected by water intake because without an adequate supply of water, it will pull it from your skin tissue consequently your skin will become dry and wrinkling may occur. The body naturally loses water throughout the day. You lose about 6 to 8 glasses a day through breathing, elimination, and perspiration. These fluids must be replaced because without adequate fluid intake, people can become dehydrated. This can lead to fatigue, weakness, headache, irritability, dizziness, and impaired physical performance. People need more fluids when they are physically active. You should also drink more water during stressful times or when your body is taxing its water supply like when you fly, ski at high attitude, if you are ill, pregnant or eating salty foods.

In addition to a glass of water to replenish your body's fluids, you can also eat fruits and vegetables. Many have high contents of water like bananas, apples, oranges, celery, and lettuce, and of course, beverages are a good source of water. Things like milk, sport drinks, and juice. However, water is still the best because it gets absorbed by your stomach and into your bloodstream faster than any other food or beverage. And don't forget, your body doesn't have a built in water tank so when you're thirsty and even if you're not it's good to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration.

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