ROL: You Shouldn't Say No to H2O.

Return on Life (ROL) is an adaptation of the popular financial metric, Return on Investment (ROI). ROI measures the dollars generated as a function of the dollars spent on a project. ROL is about ways to make small changes or additions that can significantly improve quality of life. Here is this week's ROL.


I was justed solicited on LinkedIn to join a new MLM. This new organization sells just one product, a magic elixir. How much should I pay to join the MLM in order to sell a beverage with the following properties:

• Relieves fatigue thereby increasing energy.
• Helps cure headaches without the need for NSAIDS.
• Reduces occurance and duration of muscle cramps.
• Supresses appetite without any additives that require the FDA to pull it off the market.
• Flushes ingested toxins and simultaneously nourishes cells.
• Reduces wrinkles and keeps eyes bright.

As you know from the title of the post, the stuff about the MLM is fiction. The Magic Elixir is water.

Adding water to your daily fluid intake has multiple benefits and costs next to nothing. Nutritionists, physicians and trainers suggest drinking 8-10 8 oz. glasses of water daily (a little more than 1/2 gallon) to replace normal fluid loss. The amount you should drink increases in hot weather or with strenuous activity. 

The beauty of increasing daily water intake is that it's not an all or nothing proposition. Incremental increases can have great significance and it's almost impossible to drink too much water. Here are some suggestions on easy ways to increase your daily water:

• Drink 4 oz's when you wake up, 15 minutes before and after meals and before bed. (that's 4 glasses)
• Substitute water for soda at meal time (that's at least one glass).
• If you drink when in the car or at your desk, make it water (2 more glasses)
• Have a glass of water while enjoying your favorite show, book or DVD. (Made it to 8)

Is it that simple? Absolutely not. It's hard trading out what you like to drink. I'm not suggesting you give up coffee, milk, soda, juice or beer (especially beer). Still, if I've just described your daily fluid intake (no water), it's time to get to work. Pick your favorite beverage and trade out 1/2 of your daily intake with water.  After a month, make the same trade with another daily beverage. Soon enough you'll be getting your water and won't feel deprived at all. As an added benefit, you'll be saving money, too.

Don't delay, start today. Go, go, go, H2O!