On the other hand, by drinking adequate amounts of water you are helping to create a sense of equilibrium and calm in your immune system. You may be going to the bathroom a lot more, but you will be helping your body to get rid of toxins, not loading it down with more to deal with. And you will also get rid of your water retention problems once your body realises you are serious about consuming adequate amounts of water. Now exactly what constitutes 'adequate' is a somewhat murkier issue. In most places you will see the recommended amount as being about 8 to 10 glasses (8 ounce) a day, (One pint = 16 ounces, so this is 4-5 pints or 1.89 to 2.36 litres) but in fact there has been no conclusive research that has established this amount as an ideal. It is mainly an intelligent conjecture proliferated by health organisations (but with no-one seeming to know exactly where it originated), based on how much water they believe we lose daily through sweating, urination, breathing and other bodily processes. But surprisingly there doesn't seem to be much science to either refute or endorse it as a guideline, and clearly this would be welcome. However common sense should tell you that your body is 70% water, and so bearing in mind that many of us have diets that are not especially water rich (how much water is there in a Big Mac and fries I wonder as compared to a salad?) That it would make sense to drink sufficient amounts to maintain our water levels.

Now obviously your body sweats and excretes water at different amounts according to temperature, stress and your level of activity. So how much water you should consume is not as simple as saying 'drink 8 glasses of water a day and you will be healthy'. You have to use some common sense. If you are exercising or if you find yourself in the Sahara you will need more. Typical symptoms that you are not drinking enough water (note - WATER - not tea, or coffee, or fruit juice or cans of drink, or energy drinks. Get the good stuff direct!) are constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nose bleeds, dry coughs, constant sneezing, sinus pressure and headaches. If you are suffering from any of these then the first thing you should do is majorly up your water intake; and in many cases this alone may cause your symptoms to disappear. This is not magic, but common sense. Drinking water does not stress your organs like drinking beer because it acts as a catalyst to help the body get rid of toxins, and in the same way if you have a build up of toxins in your body - that is literally giving you a headache - the water helps to dilute them and wash them out of your system. It is a bit like lancing a boil. Eliminate the puss and you can heal yourself. Get rid of the toxins and your body can once more step in to do its job effectively.