Drinking water on an empty stomach facilitates its easy absorption by the body. In fact, drinking two glasses of water just after you wake up helps stimulate the peristaltic muscles and boosts blood circulation. These are just a few of the many reasons why water is good for your body. Water - Nature's Own Health Tonic Drinking plenty of water is important because of the following reasons. » It helps keep the digestive system healthy. » It maintains the volume and viscosity of blood, which prevents blood thickening and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, heart attacks, etc. » It flushes out toxins from your body through urination and sweat. Water, known as the "universal solvent", is the best solvent for most toxic materials and thus, the best agent for the elimination of toxic wastes. » It minimizes the chances of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 75%, and bladder cancer by 50%. » For all of you watching the calorie content of what you eat, water is the best beverage. Drinking a glass of water 30 minutes before each meal makes you feel fuller, without having consumed any calories at all. As a result, you will eat less, enabling you to lose weight faster. » Drinking water before a meal also helps in better digestion of the food and rids the body of excess sodium that leads to fluid retention. » By flushing out toxins, it improves the health and the texture of your skin, making it more soft, supple, smooth and wrinkle-free. How Much Water Should You Drink Daily The total amount of fluid intake required by the human body is provided by two sources; food and water. A healthy, well-balanced diet provides up to 20% of our fluid requirement. The rest has to be supplied in the form of water. It is important to note that the number of ounces of fluids you should ingest every day can be calculated by dividing your body weight, in pounds, by two. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you need a minimum of 90 ounces of fluids every day. Keeping in mind that a healthy diet provides about 20% of your fluid requirements, the amount of water you need to drink every day would be in the region of 75-80 ounces. If you exercise regularly, you should increase the water intake by 6-8 ounces for every 20 minutes you exercise (consult a fitness expert for better personal results). However, the total intake of water should be spread out over the whole day, and should not be consumed in one or two thirst-crazed bouts. Excessive amount of water intake can lead to a fatal loss of electrolytes in the brain, although such cases, known as water poisoning, only occur in extreme circumstances, such as a water drinking competition. You should always carry a bottle of water while working, traveling or exercising, in order to maintain the water level in your body. Instead of a soda, tea, coffee or sport drinks, which contain added sugar, it is always better to drink plain, clean water. Sufficient intake of clean water not only improves your overall health, but also prevents you from several ailments and diseases, and serves you with optimal health and appearance. So go on, take a sip! Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.