Punjab—the land of five rivers, here the most important factor to keep in mind for healthy living is the easiest & simplest of all—just glassfuls of plain water!

As we know the water from Punjab is quite, pure & tasty, it's very good for health also. Experts suggest that if you really want to keep the diseases away from you, you should at-least intake eight glasses of water a day. But shockingly, people are quite ignorant about this fact. They simply drink two or three glasses of water a day. But this intake is hardly enough for the proper functioning requirements of our body. Drinking just two or three glasses of water a day, is a clear invitation to the health problems like constipation & bad breath. People who habitually drink very little water could face bigger problems like kidney stones & repeated urinary infections.

According to the experts, environment in Punjab is such that if you wait for feeling thirsty, for drinking water, it's not a healthy attitude. As a matter of fact, if you are feeling thirsty, it's an imperfect signal. The worst thing among the Punjabis is their tendency to switch off their thirst by just wetting their mouth with a sip or two.

Just breathing uses up more than a glass a day and the kidneys need at least five glasses of fluid, particularly in older people. Keeping your body temperature at normal also needs water. In physically active persons, a shortage of water adds to muscle fatigue and can even cause a mild headache. All in all, an average person needs at least eight glasses of fluid a day to keep his body ticking smoothly. People who remain indoors or work in air-conditioned offices are the likeliest to forget water, because they never work up a compelling thirst.

But remember that water is the first, foremost & simplest step towards healthy life, so drink today, drink now! Don't forget to take a look on the chart telling you about the water-related myths & facts.

Myth: Drinking water with meals interferes with digestion.

Truth: Water does not dilute digestive juices, nor does it rush undigested food through your system. In fact, digestive juices work best in a semi-fluid environment. What water can do is take up some stomach space and give you a feeling of fullness before you have eaten much. If you are a weight watcher, you can use this to your advantage.

Myth: Drinking too much water makes you fat or gives you a paunch

Truth: If you diet is high in salt, your body may temporarily retain water and feel bloated. Drinking large quantities of water may make you weigh more for a few hours. Otherwise, there is no connection at all between water and fat. In fact, serious dieters need to drink extra water to wash out the toxins produced by break-down of body fat.

Myth: Any drink is as good as water.

Truth: Not really. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol make the kidneys work overtime and may even expel more fluid from the body than they provide. Besides, they have unwelcome ingredients like sugar, caffeine and alcohol.

Myth: Drinking water during sports or exercise gives you cramps.

Truth: Scientists find no reason to avoid water during exercise. In fact, 'running dry' leads to muscle fatigue and poor performance. But very concentrated sweet drinks can give you cramps by drawing water from your muscles into the intestinal tract.

Myth: Drinking plenty of water aggravates colds and coughs.

Truth: Colds are not caused by temperature or wetness. Keeping your system well-watered keeps body-secretions thin and prevents blockages. Have the water warm if that is more soothing.