Looking for a New Years' resolution that you can keep? Your body needs to be properly hydrated each day, so why not pledge to get hydrated?

Whether it is in the dead of winter or in the high temperatures of summer, your body needs water. Water is essential to your health, especially considering your body is about 60% water.

It is important to make sure that your body gets enough water throughout the day. While eight glasses of water a day is a good guideline, it varies per person. Keep a water bottle at your desk, have a glass with every meal and be sure to replenish your fluids after your workouts.

Not only does staying hydrated prevent headaches, aid in weight loss and fight fatigue, but there are other health benefits of water. Ying Hensel, MD, Internal Medicine at NorthShore, shares why drinking water is so important to your overall health:

• Prevents constipation. By drinking enough water, you keep your digestive track moving smoothly. It also helps reduce the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products.
• Helps maintain fresh breath. Water helps fight against bad breath by keeping your mouth moist. Bacteria and food particles get washed away when you drink water thus reducing the smell of oral bacteria.
• Reduces dandruff. Staying hydrated helps keep your skin and scalp moisturized, which in turn can prevent dandruff.
• Keeps your brain refreshed. When we deny our body water, our brains have to work a lot harder to perform at the same level. By continuously drinking water, your brain will be able to keep up with you.
• Acts as a prevention tool. A correlation has been found between fluid intake and fighting bladder cancer. Sufficient water intake can also decrease kidney stone reoccurrence and ease aching joints and muscle cramps.

How many glasses of water do you drink a day?