My mother always told me I needed to drink more water. I was told I needed to drink at least 6 to 8 (8 ounce) glasses of water a day. When I got older I tried so hard to drink 3 to 4 bottles a day (those are 16 ounces).
Supermodels are always going on about how great water is. The more you drink the more it suppresses your appetite and the healthier your skin looks. But what the actual number of glasses we really need to drink a day?
Our bodies need water do what it does to keep us alive and healthy. Severe dehydration can cause seizures, brain damage or may even be fatal. When you are dehydrated (severe dehydration here), your blood stops circulating and that is what can kill you.
But it turns out the tried and true rule of 8 glasses of water a day is in fact a myth. Yes you need to drink water, but not as much as we have previously been told.
When we are born we are 75% water. As we grow older we dry out, men are 60% water, women are 55% water. The fluid is stored all over our body. The bottom line, water is important to our health and well being. There is no dispute about that.
Each and every day we lose a percentage of water through sweat, going to the restroom, etc. We must replace it and if we don’t, that is when we become dehydrated.
So how much water do you need to drink to replace it?
That really depends on you, your height, weight and overall activity, how hot and dry it is outside and whether or not you are pregnant or sick.
What we need to replace is FLUID, doesn’t have to be water. A lot of those fluids can be replaced by just eating. When we eat a banana or an orange, we consume their fluid.
An orange for example contains 8 ounces of fluid.
The problem is, every person is different. If you drink a lot of soda’s then you are going to need more fluid replacement. So that is why there is no set number, because every person is different.
So while it probably won’t hurt you to drink 8 to 12 (8 ounce) glasses of water a day, you may not need that much.
Unsure if what you are drinking is enough? Look at your urine. If it’s yellow you need more water. It’s really that simple.