Waterworks: drink lots of water for good health and fitness

Water tips:

1. Drink at least five to eight glasses of water a day. If you're on a protein-rich diet like Atkins, you should drink even more water, because protein breakdown requires water – if you eat a hamburger, the protein breakdown just from that can lead to dehydration.

2. Try drinking water before each meal; this helps you to feel satisfied with less food.

3. Make sure that when you exercise, you take along your bottle of water.

4. Think water's boring? Try dropping a slice of lemon or lime into your glass. Or, drop in a sprig of mint, or a slice of fresh ginger.

Drinking your water when the weather's cooler

It can be hard to drink all those glasses of water when both the weather and the water are cold. So warm your water. Take a thermos of water with a couple of slices of lemon, lime, or orange to work with you. Or microwave a glass of water every couple of hours if you have access to a microwave. You can also drink your fluid as hot soup, preferably a light broth or consommé, unless the soup is a main meal.

Form a water habit: set up reminders

It will take a few weeks for you to develop the habit of drinking water regularly, so for three weeks set up daily "drink water" reminders for yourself.