On my library shelf, filed along side all my books on diet and nutrition is an article I have treasured from way back. I often take it out and read it. I’m not sure what magazine it came from or who gave it to me. It has worn edges and has yellowed thru the years, but it still has the ability to inspire me over and over again.

It is an article on…you would never guess…water, of all things.

We all know the reason we should drink water and how it washes away fat and hydrates your body. But did you know that water helps metabolize fat?

Here’s how: now this is the part that convinced me to drink my water everyday...your kidneys can’t function without enough water, so when they don’t have enough, your liver has to assume some of the kidneys load. Your liver is responsible for metabolizing stored fat into usable energy. So when your liver is doing part of the kidneys function, less fat can be metabolized. This stops weight loss.

Among other important functions in the body, water also helps maintain muscle tone.

The article was written by Dr. Donald S. Robertson, MD, MSc, whom I recently learned is an internationally recognized authority on obesity. Dr. Robertson is a Bariatric specialist and medical director at the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. So… now you know!