ARE YOU DRINKING ENOUGH WATER?
Daniel Ortiz drives a city bus in Denver. He works long hours, but he drinks only one glass of water a day. By the afternoon, he often has a headache and feels very tired. "I just forget to drink," Daniel says. "When I feel thirsty, I usually buy a cola from the machine at the bus station."(lines 1–6)
Daniel is not the only one with this problem. A study last year found that seven out of ten adults do not drink enough water. Our bodies need about eight glasses a day, but most people drink less than half of that. This can cause trouble. People who don't drink enough water often get headaches. They also feel tired in the afternoon, or they make more mistakes at work.(lines 7–14)
Rita Cole, a tennis player from Florida, often forgot to drink during her long training days. Her solution was very unusual. She paid a young man to follow her everywhere with a bottle of cold water. Every hour, he gave her the bottle and watched her drink. Rita says that she feels much better now and plays better too. But the young man's help was not cheap. It cost her $3,000 a month.(lines 15–18)
Luckily, there are other ways to remember to drink, and they are far cheaper and simpler than Rita's idea. A popular one is the Line Bottle. A school nurse in Canada thought of it about twenty years ago. You only need a clear bottle and a marker*. In the morning, fill the bottle with water and draw eight lines on it, one for each hour of your day. Try to drink down to the next line every hour. Keep the bottle where you can see it, for example on your desk or in your bag. If you find plain water boring, you can add a slice of lemon, a few mint leaves or some pieces of cucumber.(lines 19–24)