This morning I had a chat with a man that drinks cup after cup of coffee while he works. He says he works at a desk all day and will continually refill his coffee cup throughout the day. While this is not unusual or funny his response to it was.

When I asked him why he did this he replied, “Because I am stupid. There is water all around me. There are free bottles of water, a water fountain, water from the fridge… I should be drinking water, but I don’t.”

I didn’t think he should be calling himself stupid because of this so I asked if he needed the caffeine in coffee to stay awake. His answer: “No. I just drink it. Its because I’m stupid.”

I still don’t think he is stupid, but he definitely would be making a smart choice if he switched to water. Coffee probably will still be a necessity for him in the mornings and that is no big deal. However, he does not need to drink coffee all day! He could grab water instead and he wouldn’t end up dehydrated every day, which is what started out conversation to begin with. He knew he was dehydrated during the day and he knew it was because he was drinking coffee instead of water. He knew this and still did it. Ok, maybe he is a little bit stupid.

My conversation with the coffee drinker ended with me telling him to just try to drink more water today. Don’t plan on doing it every day, just focus on drinking more water today. He already knew it was healthier and better for him… now he just has to buckle down and do it.

It’s not that hard to convince someone about the benefits of water. (What can water do? It can improve your energy, increase your mental and physical performance, remove toxins & waste products from your body, keep skin healthy and glowing, help you lose weight, reduce headaches and dizziness, allow for proper digestion, and more!)

It’s a lot harder to convince them to drink enough water during the day. Even people who only drink water struggle to drink the recommended amount. The recommended 64 ounces or 8 eight ounce glasses a day is sometimes a lofty goal to meet. But even just slightly increasing the amount of water you drink will help you garner more of the benefits water has to offer.

Switching from coffee to water is a whole different beast that I have not tackled (since I don’t drink coffee to begin with) but I have switched from soda/coke/pop to water. I did this a few years ago when I first decided to start living a healthier lifestyle. I can’t imagine going back to drinking soda and loooooove water so much now.

At first it was hard to do because I craved an ice cold coke at certain times. I told myself I didn’t need it even if I wanted it. I thought about how bad those empty calories were for me and how I would honestly never lose weight if I kept drinking so many cans of soda a day. Eventually the cravings faded and drinking water became more natural. After not drinking any coke (or carbonated beverage) for months I didn’t even want one. I only wanted water or milk and that has lasted for a few years now. When I do occasionally have a coke, which is never my choice but sometimes it happens, it is hard to drink – it actually hurts going down.

Even I don’t get as much water as I should on some days. But I know that drinking water more often than coke or coffee or sugary juices is better for my body. And it will be better for your body too. So drink some water!