Water is among the most important elements of your body. As much as 75% of your bodyweight at any given moment is water, and it's even higher when you're younger. Most of that water is found inside of your cells.

There are a lot of reasons you become dehydrated. You sweat it out, it's integral in eliminating waste through urination and bowel movements, and you even breathe it out with every breath.

In some parts of the world, drinking water immediately upon waking is a popular ritual. In Japan, for example, it is a common occurrence, and for good reason. Scientific studies have found that water first thing in the morning can have a big impact on your health.

Drinking water in the morning helps relieve numerous health problems, like headache, kidney problems, asthma, diabetes, menstrual issues, and it can even help you lose a little bit of weight.

In Japan, they adhere to a specific ritual:

Upon waking, before doing anything else, they drink about 20 ounces of water. Afterward, they brush their teeth and go about their lives.

45 minutes later, they drink another 20 ounces of water and then make breakfast like normal. Keep in mind, you aren't supposed to SLAM this water as fast as you can. That can actually be detrimental to your health. Sip it slowly over time. This helps your body absorb it properly.

When I started doing this, I had no idea how dehydrated I actually was and how much water I was supposed to drink. Today, I drink almost 2 gallons of water throughout the day. I weigh about 200 pounds, so I drink at least 200 ounces of water a day.

What I found was pretty amazing. Within 10 days, my GERD and constipation issues were totally gone and my blood pressure normalized. The blood pressure may or may not have been due to water, but I can tell you, I feel so much better.