Water. We've all heard over and over again that we should drink at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

But how many of you actually do? And do you know why you should drink all this water? Water is the most important nutrient for the body, second only to oxygen as a substance necessary to sustain life. Read on to find out more about the role water plays for your body: Water transports vital nutrients to and removes wastes from the cells.

Water helps to regulate your body temperature.

Water aids in digestion and helps clean the toxins out of your body.

Water helps to keep your joints supple.

Water keeps the skin healthy and young-looking.

Water helps the liver perform its job more efficiently; the liver metabolises fats and detoxifies the body.

By drinking plenty of water throughout the day, especially during exercise, you are helping your body to perform all of these functions.

What happens if we do not drink enough water? Failure to consume enough water can result in: Dehydration, which results in headaches, fatigue, dizziness, constipation and loss of coordination; Faulty regulation of body temperature; Increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke; Excess water weight - our bodies will store water outside the cells, causing a bloated and heavy feeling.

So now that you understand the importance of drinking plenty of water, how do we know how much is enough? The general rule of thumb is to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water over the course of the day. However, if you are fairly active, your body will need more, as it will be using water during exercise. For exercisers, the following guidelines apply: Drink about eight to 10 ounces of water in the half hour before exercise; Drink three to 4 ounces every ten minutes during exercise; Drink eight to 10 ounces in the half hour after exercise.

Another indication of whether you are drinking enough water is to look at the colour of your urine.

Dark gold indicates a state of dehydration Pale yellow/clear indicates a state of hydration However, if you consume a lot of caffeine, your urine may be clear in colour even though your body is actually dehydrated.

There are also some supplements and medications that can affect the colour of the urine. If you are a caffeine consumer or on supplements or medications, judge your hydration by the amount of water you consume instead of the colour of the urine.

Caffeine drinkers, your consumption of water will need to be greater. Caffeine is a diuretic; diuretics cause an increase in urine production. Therefore, in addition to the minimum requirements, you should drink an additional ounce of water for every ounce of caffeinated beverage consumed.

Do not wait until you feel thirsty before you drink water; by that point your body is already dehydrated.

Get in the habit of drinking water all day every day. Have a glass before breakfast, another one with your mid-morning snack, a couple of glasses with your lunch and keep going throughout the afternoon.

Take a bottle of water with you on your walk and drink it all before you finish your walk. Find a way to consume all of the water that your body needs, and you will reap the benefits; your skin will look and feel better, you will be less bloated and you will be helping your body perform it's various functions much more efficiently! So, bottoms up! HEALTH HTH