Image Up Advertising & Design

SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | FEBRUARY 2025 11 By Suzette Strauss, Resident Happy New Year! Let's li a glass and toast to our health … a glass of water that is. When I met my husband, I thought we were approximately the same age but found out I was incorrect, then I thought, "What's your secret?" It wasn't long before he shared with me what he shared with many of his clients over the years: water and lots of it, taken in at strategic times and ounces every day. is knowledge came from an article he read about a book called, e Snowbird Diet by Donald S. Robertson, MD. e primary focus of the article was on the title, "How 8 Glasses A Day Keep Fat Away," yes, I believe it should be "keeps," but anyway. I will share the segment headings and a few highlights from each. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. e kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. e liver's primary function is to metabolize stored fat. And like most people, it doesn't work to its optimum when having to do two jobs. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for uid retention. When the body is in a water decit, it will store every drop outside of the cells thus presenting as swollen feet, legs and hands. is is a natural survival response. By giving the body plenty of water, it will release the stored water. Excess salt can cause a similar reaction, and the remedy is the same. e overweight person needs more water than the thin one. is is due to having a larger metabolic load. On average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. e overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. I have been told by nutritionists that an easy calculation is to drink half of your body weight in ounces per day. A 140-pound person would drink 70 ounces. (More if exercising). Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone. is is because water helps give the muscles their natural ability to contract. Preventing dehydration also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss – shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste and relieve constipation. Metabolized fat must be shed and ushed out with water. If too little is consumed, the body will siphon what it needs from internal sources. e colon is one of the sources, resulting in constipation. To utilize water most eciently during weight loss and for optimum health: Drink 1-quart over a 30-minute period in the morning, and noon. Drink 1-quart between 5 and 6 pm daily. When your body is continually supplied with sucient water your "breakthrough point" is apparent. (Consult a physician if you have kidney disease.) Bottoms up H2O! A Drink To Your Health

• Cover