From the tap or from the bottle, water is king
It's common knowledge that human beings need water to survive. The benefits of drinking a cool glass of water are felt almost instantly. This knowledge is accepted worldwide, and not debated. What many people are unsure of is how much water should we drink on a daily basis?
Why We Need Water
Whether it is cleansing your body of toxins, transporting oxygen to cells or keeping your body temperature where it should be, the benefits of drinking the proper amount of water cannot be understated. Water is the key factor in keeping us hydrated, which prevents us from feeling run-down or tired. On a daily basis, adults lose about 2.5 liters (roughly 2/3 of a gallon) of water, that's about four cups per day.
How Do We Know if We Need More?
Symptoms such as a dry mouth, headache, muscle cramping, constipation or infrequent urination may be signs that you are not getting enough water in your diet. Also, urine should be colorless; the clearer your urine is the better off you are in terms of adequately hydrating your body.
People sick with a fever, those who are vomiting or those with diarrhea should drink more water than usual, since they are losing more, and potentially rapidly. Also, pregnant women or women who are nursing should add three to five additional cups of water to their daily intake.
How Much Per Day Depends on Your Circumstances
There is not one exact answer to how much water we should drink. Consider your physical circumstances, your activity level and your age. The amount you should drink can vary day to day. For a basic guideline, though, around 9 cups, or 74 ounces, is a good measure for daily water intake.
If you're living in a hot, humid or dry environment, you should add an additional cup or two of water to your daily intake. And if you exercise, depending on how intense your exercise sessions are and how much you sweat, you're going to need to drink anywhere from two to eight cups of water to replenish yourself. It's important to drink water before and after you exercise, not just after.
Tips
Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink. If you do, you can run the risk of dehydration, since it sometimes begin to occur in the body before thirst sets in.
Don't drink your daily intake of water at one time.
Gatorade and other sports drinks are great ways to hydrate while exercising, because they contain additional nutrients to help hydrate and replenish the body.
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