Drink More Water on the Way to Better Health

I don’t have to tell you that you need water to live. But chances are you’re not drinking enough. According to Pastor Stan Moore, author of Living Well by Water, most of us drink only two glasses of water a day—or less. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the average person drinks up to four cups of water a day. Either way, most people don’t drink nearly enough water. God does not want you to get sick, but you must do your part and stay hydrated. Perhaps that’s why He included more than seven hundred references to water in His Word.

Think of your body as a sponge. When a sponge is dried out, it’s brittle, cracks easily, and is not much use for anything. Soldiers know how important water is. The three things they are taught to protect are their lives, their guns, and their canteens.

Have you ever worked out hard and gotten all hot and sweaty? Doesn’t a cool glass of water taste good then? Well, water is that good for your body all the time, even when you haven’t been working out.

You can stay alive for forty days without food—but only seven days without water. How much water should you drink each day? Divide your weight in pounds by two—that’s how many ounces of water you need each day. To keep it simple, on average, people need eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water. Eight glasses will keep you hydrated. Drinking 10 helps you detoxify.

The earth is roughly three quarters water, and a healthy body is also made up mostly of water. Your vital organs are 70 percent to 90 percent water. A healthy brain is roughly 70 percent water, and blood is 83 percent water. As is written in Leviticus 17:11, the life of the flesh is in the blood. In the Gospel of John alone Jesus talked about “living water” four times.

Make a Change Today

Drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals is not just good for your overall health, but it can also help you lose weight. Drinking water before meals fills the stomach so you eat less.

Another way to combat pounds is to drink water instead of soda pop or other sugary drinks. That includes artificially sweetened “diet” drinks, as these have been shown to increase appetite.

A lot of people struggle to drink enough water every day, so here’s a good way to get your eight to ten glasses. When you get up in the morning, drink two 8-ounce glasses of water. During the day say no to soda pop or sweetened drinks. Drink pure water instead. When you get home at the end of the day, sit down and enjoy a nice glass of water on ice or with a slice of lemon.

Keep your sponge—your body—moist, flexible, and healthy, not dry, brittle, and thirsty. Eight glasses a day will keep sickness—and unwanted weight—away!

“Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me (who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow continuously) springs and rivers of living water. (John 7:37–38)

Let’s pray together

Lord, I am a water drinker. I love to drink water. I will try to drink eight to 10 glasses of water every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The preceding is an excerpt from 30 Quick Tips for Better Health by Don VerHulst, M.D. The book can be purchased at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Christianbook.com.