Nutrition can get complicated.

Before you know it you're drowning in a puddle of three and four-syllable words . . . paralyzed with the fear that you're not getting enough of something you didn't even know existed a few moments ago.

And then there's the endless march of changes to what you should eat (according to the experts) . . .

First it's low fat . . . then low carbs. It's vegan . . . then paleo. Good fats replace no fats. And seafood is either the best or the worst depending on who you talk to.

Don't you long for the basics?

Well, today's post is a tribute to not just the basics - but the most basic of all basics . . .

Water.

This beautiful molecule is made of just two simple elements - oxygen and hydrogen. It flows through each of our cells, our bodies, through every plant that grows on this planet and through our oceans, rivers and streams. It rains down on us from the sky and then gets pulled up again by the sun's heat.

It cleans, softens, dissolves, mixes, potentiates, dilutes, extracts and deposits.

Without this beautiful nutrient, life would not exist. And without enough water in our diet, we cannot thrive.I'm an avid walker. I know how much water keeps me going when I'm pounding the trail, covering miles. It's hard not to be acutely aware of how thirsty your body is when you're exercising.

But while most of us know it's important to take in when we sweat - or even drink more in general over the day - few of us understand the full impact water has on our body.

Here are just a few of the lesser-known reasons you should be getting enough H2O in your diet.

The furrows and ravines that start to show up on your face with age aren't just from an absence of collagen. When your skin is well hydrated, it plumps up and fills in those gaps.

Unfortunately, when we get older it's harder and harder for our skin to hold onto water. We stop producing a key water-retaining molecule found in our skin's architecture, hyaluronic acid.

Sure, you can hold onto some moisture with a good anti-aging skin cream. But ultimately, the more you get water inside your skin by consuming it, the more hydrated your skin will be.

Getting enough water can make all the difference in whether your skin shows its age or not.

Nothing fires up your energy like a cool drink of water.

Water is essential for most reactions in your body. It facilitates the movement of ions and signal molecules across membranes, triggering everything from muscle movements to glucose uptake. And water provides the medium in which biochemical reactions take place at the cellular level. It helps your kidneys clean your blood and moves food down your digestive tract.In other words, when you have enough water, your body can work at its best. Simply by drinking a glass of water you can increase your body's performance level. Consequently you feel better, more energized.

Cutting through these specifics . . .

When you get enough water inside you it's like diving into a cool, blue lake. Your whole body wakes up and starts to buzz with life.

Got constipation? Taking in some more water can bring relief. In fact, it may work even better than fiber. While not definitive, one recent large-scale study indicated that people who took in the most water consistently had easier bowel movements than people who didn't drink enough.

When researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama analyzed 8000 health surveys conducted with both men and women, they saw a pattern. They discovered a significant percentage of people who drank the lowest amount of water had constipation problems. To their surprise, the researchers did not find a similar correspondence with fiber intake and constipation. Water seemed to be the more significant factor in minimizing bowel movement problems. ^[1]

Why water helps is pretty self-explanatory. If you mix water into anything, it becomes softer and more pliable. The same is true with the waste in your bowels. As this waste travels down this final passageway out of you, your body removes excess water. So it makes sense that if you add more water at the start and hydrate your body more overall, less water will be extracted from the stool and cause constipation problems.

Feeling foggy-headed? Sometimes all you need to clear things up is a glass of water. While most of the research connecting dehydration to problems with thinking clearly has been conducted with athletes or soldiers, some researchers have noted that this may also be an issue in less extreme cases. ^[2]

As much as 2% dehydration can affect your memory, your attention-span and even how self-aware you are. So if you're feeling a little off-kilter, drink down a glass. You may find that's all you needed to clear things up and give your brain a boost.

Your immune system's effectiveness depends on two watery factors: Movement and communication.

When your blood flow is optimum, immune cells can easily move around the body to the site of infection. The fluidity of your blood is impacted heavily by how hydrated you are.

But your immune system doesn't just depend on blood flow to move cells around. It also uses the bloodstream to communicate.

Special signal molecules travel around your body via the blood. If your blood thickens up and doesn't flow as well, it's like the bandwidth on your phone dropping dramatically. Messages can't get through.Instead of hazarding a communication breakdown and reduced immune mobility, drink up. Get some water in your body and keep these channels flowing. It's a powerful - and simple - way to strengthen your immune system.

Want to look great and feel great? Get water inside of you.

By glass, by water bottle, soup or watermelon . . . it doesn't matter how you get this liquid molecule inside of you. Just do it.

Put some more water inside your body. You may be surprised how many ways it makes a difference in your health.

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Sources: 
[1] oyle K. Fluids May Prevent Constipation Better Than Fiber. Reuters, May 2013. Viewed 5/13 at http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/07/us-fluids-constipation-idUSBRE9460NZ20130507 
[2] Adan A. Cognitive performance and dehydration. J Am Coll Nutr. 2012 Apr;31(2):71-8.