The no-calorie wonder: water gives your body an internal shower!

Forcing limited amounts of fluid is like trying to wash the dinner dishes in a cupful of water When you don't drink enough water, the body must excrete wastes in a much more concentrated form, causing body odor, bad breath, and unpleasant-smelling urine.

Don't most people drink plenty of water?

Surprisingly, the average person today drinks more soft drinks and alcohol than water. And not far behind are coffee and milk.

Notice what happens next time you go to a restaurant for a meal. You will usually be served a large glass of ice water and then asked expectantly, "And what would you like to drink?"

Why does it matter what beverages I drink? They all contain water, don't they?

The body uses water in all forms, but beverages can pose special problems. Many have calories that must be digested as food. These calories may produce extra fat storage, swings in blood sugar, and slowed digestion. Water alone, on the other hand, goes right through the stomach whether or not food is there. It requires no processing or digesting, does not irritate or disturb body functions, and has no calories.

Sugar in beverages requires extra water for metabolism. Most beverages increase acid secretion in the stomach. Cola drinks contain phosphorus, a chemical that can help deplete the body's calcium supplies, contributing to brittle bones.

Do the "no sugar" diet drinks solve the problems?

Diet beverages don't contain sugar, but they present other concerns. Nearly all beverages, sugared or not, contain chemicals that are added for color, flavor, preservation, and other reasons. Some of these may irritate delicate stomach linings, and some may also require the liver and kidneys to detoxify and dispose of them.

Drinking water eliminates these problems. No extra calories to slow down digestion or add unwanted fat, no irritants to ;tress sensitive linings of the digestive tract, and fewer foreign chemicals to threaten delicate body machinery.

How much water should I drink?

Enough to keep the urine pale. The body loses about 10 to 12 cups of water a day through the skin, lungs, and elimination. Food provides two to four cups of water, leaving us six to eight glasses of water to drink.

Get into the habit of drinking water liberally. Drink on arising, in midmorning, midafternoon, and early evening. A drink of water is like an internal shower--it rinses the stomach and prepares it for its work.

So start the day right. Give that early-morning drink some zest by adding a twist of lemon. Then during morning and afternoon coffee breaks, reach for a glass of water and drink to your body's content. In the evening, drink away some of your sleepiness and the temptation to snack.

Water is exactly what the body needs to carry out all its processes. It's the perfect beverage and one of life's greatest blessings.

The next time you are asked "Anything to drink?" you can say "Yes, a glass of water is fine. In fact, it's perfect."

This article is taken from Dynamic Living, a book by Aileen Ludington and Hans Diebl. You may order Dynamic Living through the Review and Hearld[R] Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, Maryland 21740, or call [phone].