The human body is made up of 60% water. During the day, we lose water through urine, sweating, and even breathing! In fact, we lose 3.4 cups of water a day to just sweat and breathing!
We all know the standard recommendation of drinking eight 8 oz cups of water—the simple 8x8 rule. Many struggle to achieve that standard every day but in reality we should be drinking MORE. That number is averaged between the human population of men, women, and children! What a vast difference exists between the three!
There are many factors to find the optimal amount of water you should be drinking everyday including gender, age, climate, and activity level. Institute of Medicine actually recommends women to drink nine cups a day and men 13 cups day. Pregnant and nursing women should drink 10 cups a day.
On the other hand, children from 4-8 years old should have 5 cups. Children between the age of 9-13 should increase their water intake to 7 to 8 cups. Children from 14-18 years old should be drinking 8-11 cups.
Do you exercise a lot? For every hour of exercise, one should drink 1.5-2.5 cups of water.
Are you outside frequently? In hotter climates, you need to drink more water as you lose more throughout the day.
How do you know if you need to drink more water?
Dehydration is correlated with overheating, constipation, kidney stones, shock, confusion, dizziness, and mood changes. Be aware of the color of your urine as a darker color is tied to not drinking enough fluids. One can also suffer from dry mouth and lack of tears. These signs can be unique to the individual. The best way to know if you’re dehydrated is to be aware of what’s normal for your body.
Drinking water is important for each of your body systems to function properly. Fortunately, water is in most foods and drinking liquids other than water can contribute to your hydration! Switch up your water intake with water-rich foods like watermelon, spinach, cucumbers, green peppers, berries, and so much more!
Many argue that caffeinated drinks do not count is hydrating liquids. However, coffee and teas can still count towards your daily intake. Don’t replace all your water with other forms drinks because, at the end of the day, nothing is better than water purest form... and maybe an added apple cider vinegar packet to get your nutrients too!