I have known of people who would drink one glass of water a day, at a maximum. A lot of people struggle to drink the recommended eight glasses daily.

Where are the other fluids coming from?

From sweetened fruit juice, from sodas, from coffee, tea and endless other beverages.

Do these drinks keep you hydrated, though?

No, it is water; pure, fresh and clean water which your body needs.

To remind you all exactly how important water is to your body, lest you forget, consider how long a body can survive without water. Without food a healthy body can survive for days, but not without water. Within a few days the organism withers and dies. Yet, we all take this perfect substance for granted.

Let us, so, take a moment to think over the benefits and importance of water to our bodies.

        For those converting to the raw food diet, it is likely that you will experience a degree of detoxification. In this instance, water will be your new best friend. Water helps dilute the toxins that will be liberated throughout your body during the detoxification process.

       Don't mock me for stating this; water solves the problem of dehydration. Yes, this is an obvious statement, but perhaps some of us are not aware of the signs of dehydration, and hence, we are not aware of the problems that water can solve.

Headache, lethargy, dizziness, weakness, inability to concentrate and dry skin and eyes are all signs of dehydration.

I have numerous times been around somebody who complains of a headache. I ask them have they had enough water and they respond, "I haven't had any today". Voilà, problem solved.

     Water can help weight loss. Everybody loves to hear this news, as, of course, water is cheap and easy to come by. Cheaper than any Atkins supplements, that is for sure. The exact science behind this statement is as follows.

Firstly, thirst can actually quite easily be perceived as hunger. For somebody who does not drink sufficient water, the signs are quite easy to confuse. When you feel a hunger pang, always first take two glasses of water and wait a few moments.

Secondly, without sufficient water the kidneys do not function as they should.

When the kidneys are not as efficient as they should be, a portion of their workload gets passed onto the liver. The liver is one of the organs which metabolizes stored fat. If the liver is now doing part of the kidney's work, it cannot complete this task quite as successfully as it should. Hence, fat is not efficiently metabolized.

To avoid this consequence, aim to drink twice as much as you feel you need to. If you are thirsty and you desire one glass of water, drink two. Your body and your figure will thank you.

To assure that you are getting sufficient water, do not rely on thirst. The sensation of thirst is in fact the last outward notification from our body of dehydration. That is to say, you will feel thirsty long after you have become dehydrated. Eight glasses of water a day is the recommended amount, though I would advise aiming for double. As long as you are also getting sufficient minerals throughout the day, you will only benefit from an increased water intake.

Spread your water consumption throughout the day.

Remember that coffee, tea and soda are all diuretics and so if you drink these, you will need to consume even more water.