Q. Are there any tasty substitutes for water?

A. Not that I know of. Are there any pleasant substitutes for air? Taste buds may replace themselves as often as every 10-14 days so it doesn’t take long to retrain them. Water is considered your most important nutrient. The lack of water can kill faster than the lack of any other nutrient. When I drink water I tell myself, “Arlene, you drink life’s most important nutrient. You enjoy the taste of pure, clean water. You feel good.” It’s your choice what you choose to tell your brain and how you choose to program your taste buds. Remember that water requires no digestion, generates electrical energy in the brain, helps keep blood and lymph fluid at desired level of concentration to reduce the risk of clotting, allows digestive juices to better do their work, and provides water for many different chemical reactions and the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Dehydration is not part of a longevity lifestyle.