Drink to Your Health ... Water, That Is

Hard to believe it, but our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water, with every last system in our body depending on H2O to function.

However, water is lost from our bodies constantly. This can be caused by a myriad of everyday activities, from an afternoon of pumping iron in the gym to an evening of watching tear-jerking movies with the girls.

Indeed, we can lose up to four cups of water a day through breathing alone.

By sufficiently replenishing our body's supply with those famous eight glasses a day, we can treat ourselves to a whole range of biological benefits. Here are a few of the main advantages that H20 can take care of for us.

1. Aid natural weight loss. Water plays a key role in the metabolic breakdown of proteins and carbohydrates. Try a cup of hot water and lemon to remove toxins from your system and speed up weight-loss plans. When drunk with green tea, hot water also speeds up the metabolism, which allows you to burn those undesired excess calories at a faster rate.

2. Keep your concentration sharp and avoid fatigue. Even mild dehydration -- as little as a 1 to 2 percent loss of your body weight -- can sap your energy and make you tired. Water pumps life back into the brain to keep you one step ahead of that formidable to-do list.

3. Keep joints lubricated and reduce the likelihood of physical injury. Water keeps our organs and joints moist. This permits the passage of nutrients and waste between the blood vessels and the rest of the body to keep your limbs moving liberally throughout the day.

4. Reduce the chance of catching colds and flu. Perhaps the most important and easiest form of prevention of the common cold is sufficient fluid replacement. Fluids flush out harmful impurities and toxins in our bodies and aid in the production of mucus.

5. Maintain youth. According to Dr. Sang Whang, the author of the "Reverse Aging" book, the aging process is basically the accumulation of acidic wastes built up within the body which water can easily flush out. This means the best anti-aging moisturizer on the shelf canactually be found bottled in the fridge.