water-logged.

there's been someone new in my life. we do practically everything together. some say we're inseparable.

friends, meet mr. bottle.

this rubbermaid® container brings me milk in the morning, and water the rest of the day.

the measure marks on the side helps mix the perfect flavored water concoction.

the fact that it's reusable really appeals to my "green" side.

mostly, though, i love it because it keeps me hydrated and healthy.

i can't say this enough: that bottle (and more importantly, what's in it) is one of the most important things i'm committed to during my overhaul.

water makes up more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body. basically, without water, humans would die in a few days—all the cells and organs need water to function.

of course, not everyone likes water. most people prefer sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks, coffee and others. according to nutritionist andrea dunn, all these drinks can help quench your body’s thirst for fluids to an extent, but they typically contain 100 calories or more per serving.

"the best alternatives to water are diluted fruit juices, non-fat or skim milk and diet soft drinks," dunn explains. "but these drinks shouldn’t supplant water. take note of how much sugar is in these alternatives. sugar slows down the rate at which fluid is absorbed into the body. If you have trouble drinking water because you don’t like the taste, try adding a twist of lemon or lime or a splash of fruit juice. and cold water tastes better."

according to this diet wiki,
"all people should consume a minimum of 64 ounces a day, and many people drink as much as two gallons daily with no ill effects. a person who is overweight should drink an additional 8 ounces for every 25 pounds over his ideal weight. intake should be spread over the course of a day ... drinking too much of any liquid at one time will make a person very ill."

another way to figure how much h2o to consume: take your current weight, and divide it by two. in my case, i'm supposed to consume about 100-oz. of water a day.

here's a hydration calculator that'll help you figure it out, based on various health conditions.

an interesting tidbit i picked up from the calculator: when eating a healthy diet (which i am), up to 20% of your water intake may come from the foods eaten. that puts me down to an average intake of 82-oz. a day.

TIP: eat water-rich fruits and veggies, like watermelon, oranges and leafy vegetables.

surprisingly, it hasn't been hard to meet or exceed that.

each morning, i drink 16-20-oz. of skim milk, followed by 20-oz. from mr. bottle, times three.

in the evening, i drink another two 16-oz. glass-fulls of flavored water, and i'm set.

i also try to incorporate a few servings of water-rich foods into my diet as well.

you do the math.

PLEASE NOTE: in very rare cases, people who consume too much water may develop hyponatremia. essentially, your kidneys become overwhelmed at the amount of water it's trying to process while your natural salt levels drop below normal. it's commonly seen among long-range athletes who don't replenish other nutrients. get more information on that here.

sure, i feel bloated a bit more than i had before, but i don't look it. my ankles are actually skinny again. my skin looks amazing.

if you can do nothing else in your own overhaul, do water.

trust me.