With branded bottle fads and gallon-a-day water challenges trending on TikTok, hydration has become popular, which is great news for health. On average, more than 60% of the human body is water. Water makes up almost two-thirds of the brain and heart, 83% of the lungs, 64% of the skin, and even 31% of the bones. It’s involved in almost every process that keeps you alive. So if you join the water-drinking bandwagon, you’re doing yourself a favor.
“Water is essential for your body’s survival,” says Crystal Scott, R.D., a top nutrition coach. “It helps regulate body temperature, transport nutrients, remove waste, lubricate joints and tissues, and also plays a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of electrolytes and fluids in the body.”
You lose water when you breathe, sweat, urinate, and metabolize food and drinks into energy. If you don’t replace fluids, your health may deteriorate dramatically. Your body can continue to function without food for up to three weeks or more. But without water, you’ll die within days. There are so many systems that rely on it.
“I love connecting our bodies to the earth,” Scott said. “Our planet is made up of a large portion of water. If this amount is too low, what happens to our food systems? Our forests? Animal life? It’s a domino effect.
She said that in order to prevent the first domino from falling, she had to drink it all.
“That’s the first step when you’re considering any kind of nutrition or lifestyle change or issue – start by assessing water intake,” Scott says. “It helps create a feeling of fullness, can improve cognitive function, mood, physical performance, and can prevent health problems such as constipation, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. This is one of the basic building blocks.
Bottom line: water is life. But how many calories should you eat every day in order to survive and thrive?
How many ounces of water should I drink each day?
A common rule of thumb you may have heard of is the 8×8 rule: drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. If you achieve that goal, Scott says, you’re doing well. But you might benefit from some adjustments.
“I don’t think the number is necessarily wrong, but I think the research has definitely evolved over time,” she said. “Recommendations for drinking water will vary based on age, gender and activity level.”
Your intake recommendations may also vary based on your life circumstances. For example, if you live in a hot and humid climate, do a lot of physical activity, are pregnant, or breastfeed, you may need more water per day than the average adult. Your doctor can help guide you.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommend that men drink an average of about 125 ounces of water per day and women about 91 ounces. If you don’t fill your water bottle to that amount each day, you’re probably still getting close or even exceeding it, since you can also get water from food, Scott says.
“You can get a lot of water from foods like celery, oranges, strawberries, watermelon and cucumbers,” she says. “All of these are hydrating foods that can actually help replenish your fluid intake.”
How much water is too much?
Although this is rare, drinking too much water is possible. This is a condition called hyponatremia, which occurs when the amount of water in your system exceeds that of your kidneys and the kidneys can’t keep up with their normal filtration rate. The sodium content in the blood becomes dangerously dilute and causes cells to swell. Certain health conditions, such as kidney failure and congestive heart failure, put you at higher risk, and some high-performance athletes may develop this condition if they don’t replenish electrolytes after exercise.
How do I know if I’m drinking enough water?
The bigger issue for most people is getting enough water. While it’s helpful to keep an eye on actual ounces, the best indicator of whether you’re hydrated is your body. When you don’t get enough water, your body will show certain signs.
“Urine color is a very good indicator of hydration status,” says Scott. If the water in your toilet is yellowish or clear after you pee, you’re golden. Dark yellow or amber urine means your body needs fluids.
Headaches, migraines, poor sleep, constipation, dizziness, lightheadedness, or confusion may also be symptoms of dehydration. When in doubt, go to the nozzle.
Tips for daily replenishment
If you’re committed to optimizing hydration, Scott recommends starting slowly. First, take stock of where you are now and set a goal for where you want to be.
“Half your body weight in ounces is a good starting point,” she says. “So for someone who weighs 200 pounds, our first goal is 100 ounces. Let’s say they only drink 20 ounces of fluid per day. So we’re looking to slowly and steadily increase by about 8 to 10 ounces each week . Because if you add water too quickly, people will feel really drowned.
Other practical tips Scott suggests:
- Try serving it chilled or add sliced fruit for extra flavor.
- Use smaller water bottles and refill them instead of filling a large jug all day, which can feel overwhelming.
- Divide your day into increments and give yourself a small goal in each section. This way you can maintain a constant supply of moisture instead of trying to gulp it all down in one sitting.
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