Water Basics

I am finding myself thirsty with this cleanse!  This generally isn't the case because I do tend to drink a good amount of water.  In general, if we are drinking a good amount of water each day, we won't ever feel thirsty (outside of when we are outdoors on a very hot day or if we have eaten a meal that is much higher in salt than we would normally eat).   If we find ourselves thirsty, it is a very helpful signal from our body that we need more water.
This thirst on the cleanse makes sense though because water does make it easier for our bodies to clear out toxins and doing a cleanse provides our body with an opportunity to do more work on this level.  Drinking more water will facilitate a more effective cleanse.
Drinking a good amount of water also ensures that we are properly hydrated which positively impacts us on a number of levels including improving our ability to concentrate, supporting healthy bowel movements, and reducing the likelihood of headaches.
On a regular day, it is best to aim for 2 litres (8 X 250 ml cups) of water.  If we do an intense work out, we want to add at least another 2 cups (500 ml) to that total.  And during a cleanse, we might want to add another 500 ml to the total too.
Room temperature or warm water is easier on our system than refrigerated or ice water.
Most of us aren't natural water drinkers, so measuring out our water in the morning (in 2 X 1 litre bottles) makes it easier to ensure we actually drink 2 litres per day.  And the visual reminder of the measured water provides motivation to drink the water.
As well, if we aren't drinking a whole lot of water currently, we don't want to aim for 2 litres per day directly.  Slowly increasing our water trains ourselves (and our bladders!) and makes it possible for an increased amount of water to become a normal part of our routine.  Increase by 1 cup per day each week - i.e. if we normally drink 4 cups per day, increase to 5 cups per day for at least 1 week, then increase to 6 cups per day for at least 1 week and so on.  By the time we get to 8 cups (2 litres), we will have adjusted to the increased water intake being part of our daily routine and it will be much easier to maintain.