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=Becoming H2O Tolerant =

Abstract:
====I started this project as being “H2O intolerant” (a quote from Finding Nemo) because of my great dislike for drinking water. For the last three weeks I have been trying to increase my intake of water. I wanted to gradually increase how much water I drink on a daily basis and get up to at least the recommended amount, which is about 2 liters, or eight 8 ounce glasses which is 67.62 fluid ounces. I knew this would be a challenge and that I would have to make a conscious effort in order to achieve my goal because I am not used to drinking that much water on a usual basis. ====

Introduction:
====Water is essential for survival but it is also vital to drink the recommended amount of water to stay healthy and fit. Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. It is also good for the heart, it provides energy, cures headaches, gives health skin, solves some digestive problems, and creates more efficient exercise results. ==== ====I personally am not the biggest fan of water as a beverage. If I have another option besides water, when I’m eating at a restaurant or having a meal at home, I usually pass on the H2O. I would much rather have tea, or diet coke over water when I’m thirsty. I know however, that water is much healthier and that I should focus on trying to drink more water to improve my health, even on a small scale. Despite the fact that I might not like water as much as other drinks, I know it is much better for me and I need to drink a lot more of it than I usually do. ====

Implementation:
====In order to get the desired results of drinking the recommended amount of water every day, I kept track of how much water I was drinking every time I had a sip. I kept a notebook with me in order to keep data and ensure that the results would be accurate. When I would go to school, I would remember to grab a water bottle before I walked out the door so that I would have it during class and available to fill up at break and lunch. I also made the conscious decision to order water whenever I would eat at restaurants and have meals at home. When the project first started, I wrote a reminder for myself on the chalkboard in my room to bring a water bottle so I would see it as I was getting ready for school. ==== ====Unfortunately, sometimes I would forget to bring water to school on days that I was rushed, and it often slipped my mind to drink water instead of iced tea when I was really thirsty since that’s usually my drink of choice. I’m also a little bit picky about water, especially bottled water. I really only like Arrowhead water because, maybe I’m crazy, but I feel like other bottled water has a mineral taste to it where as Arrowhead just tastes like nothing. ====

Results:

 * =  ||= **Date** ||= **Water Consumed (fl oz.)** ||
 * =  ||= May 12, 2011 ||= 16 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/13/11 ||= 16 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/14/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/15/11 ||= 16 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/16/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/17/11 ||= 16 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/18/11 ||= 48 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/19/11 ||= 50 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/20/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/21/11 ||= 16 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/22/11 ||= 16 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/23/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/24/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/25/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/26/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/27/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/28/11 ||= 48 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/29/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/30/11 ||= 67 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 5/31/11 ||= 67 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 6/1/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 6/2/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 6/3/11 ||= 48 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 6/4/11 ||= 32 fl oz ||
 * =  ||= 6/5/11 ||= 67 fl oz ||

I definitely was not able to drink the recommended amount of water every day throughout the duration of the experiment. I knew it would be difficult to achieve this goal especially since I hardly drank any water to start with, but I did improve a lot and there were a few days that I did reach the recommended 2 liter amount. I never realized how much water that really is. ====At the beginning of the experiment I wasn’t paying as much attention to my H2O intake as I should have and therefore wasn’t drinking very much water. I was off to a slow start and didn’t really change my habits until the middle to end of the experiment. From May 23rd to the last day, June 5th, I drank at least 32 fluid ounces every day which was a significant improvement. On the 29th and 30th I drank the recommended amount, 2 liters or 67 fluid ounces, but I really had to force myself to drink this much water. I wanted to see how much the recommended amount really was and I was shocked that I was so unaccustomed to drinking this much water that it was almost difficult for me to do so. ====

Conclusions:
====The main conclusion that I drew from my study is that I need to make a conscious decision to drink the recommended amount of water if I want to reach this goal because I definitely am not anywhere close to this amount with the regular amount I drink. It was also interesting to see the way my body was affected on the days I drank more water. I was less hungry and more energized than on the days where I only had 16 fluid ounces. ==== ====I do hope to continue this experiment and make it a part of my daily habits to consciously drink more water. It would make me a much happier, healthier person in the long run. Even though it seems like a burden to me to drink the recommended amount of water I know it will contribute to my overall health and benefit my life. ====

General Comments:
====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I learned a lot about the benefits that water has on the individual, and exactly what I’m missing out on. Water provides the body with energy and prevents fatigue and headaches, symptoms of dehydration. Drinking water can also clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin. I also learned that drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer. With all the advantages of drinking water, I am going to try a lot harder to meet the recommended daily amount and reap the benefits of H2O. ====