How Much Water do you drink Everyday?

Do you feel that you are drinking enough? How much do you recommend?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lisa Newton on July 1, 2008 at 7:33am

Great question..................:)

Currently, I only drink about 2 glasses of water each day, but I'm trying to increase that number.

I've seen varying ideas about how much water to drink, but I still think the standard is 8 glasses, isn't it Diana?

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Permalink Reply by Sugar and Sprouts on July 1, 2008 at 8:54am

It depends on time of year and activity level, but LOTS. I live in northern AZ and it is very, very dry here. I used to work at the bottom of Grand Canyon many moons ago and to ensure we drank enough so that we could be of service to those who DIDN'T drink enough (a common occurrence in the park) we would fill up eight quarts a day and as we finished one line them up along the sink. That way we knew we'd get the minimum, ad could always drink more.

If you are really active and in a dry place where you are drinking lots of water it is SO important to add an electrolyte replacement supplement (Gatorade, Gookinaid, etc.) to your water to keep yourself from going the way of water intoxication. Laymen's term yeah, but it is possible to flood yourself with too MUCH water and not enough food and then you get all out of whack and that too can be life threatening. Probably not an issue if you aren't overexerting in a very arid climate though.

But very important to eat healthfully as well as hydrate. We used to say "Hydrate or Die!" it sounds ominous but it's true in the desert!

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Permalink Reply by David on July 1, 2008 at 9:34am

That makes sense to include electrolytes in the water, and to not over-hydrate. I know that I cannot drink plain water since an illness about 10 years ago. I know how hot AZ gets, so it makes a lot of sense to drink fluids before one goes into the heat.

That being said, I think that what's coming out is to be very careful, and not to flood yourself with water as it is dangerous.

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Susanna on July 1, 2008 at 9:58am

I drink anywhere from 16-32 ounces of water each day. Then I drink gobs of green tea, both cold and hot.

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Permalink Reply by David on July 1, 2008 at 5:22pm

Ah, Green Tea. I am a huge drinker of it. Do you know what it's actual health benefits are? I've heard a lot of talk but have seen no facts about it.

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Permalink Reply by Amy on July 2, 2008 at 3:26am

I usually recommend 8-10 8-oz glasses per day, but there are a lot of factors that can change this recommendation. As sugar and sprouts mentioned, the temperature and increased physical activity increase your requirements. They say that you should replace the same amount that you sweat, so if anyone has any idea how to measure this, I'd be very curious to see it! I personally drink beyond the 10-cup recommendation. When I'm talking at work all day, my mouth gets so dry, so I'm constantly drinking.

I have heard that, for some people, drinking plain water is a chore, so I'm so glad to see the variety of drinks on the market that can flavor it up a bit. Any of the Crystal Light or non-calorie powder mixes are delicious and come in many flavors. Unsweetened or diet iced teas are great as well (although if they are caffeinated, you will need to drink extra water to make up for the amounts lost in urine). I also love flavored seltzer waters instead of plain water for some variety.

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Permalink Reply by Susana on July 8, 2008 at 11:29pm

Isn't Crystal Light full of colorants? I remember someone dropped it on a Formica table but we couldn't get it out... I'm thinking about our stomachs though!

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Permalink Reply by Susana on July 8, 2008 at 11:26pm

In my opinion, it depends on the person and diet.

Because I am vegetarian and eat a lot of juicy veggies, I don't feel like drinking a lot. It is good to add more since I eat a high fiber diet. So I keep a thermo (not water bottle) always ready just in case, especially in these hot days that we have a heat wave. But always plain water... or green tea hot or cold

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Permalink Reply by Susana on September 30, 2008 at 9:18am

I just found this article Drinking water alone does not aid weight lossthat explains part of my comment.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher on July 31, 2008 at 2:55pm

We just got a reverse osmosis filtration system for our home today. When the guy was here to test our water we had bacteria, arsenic, flouride, and other disgusting junk in it. He showed us the report the city put out that it has so much lead in it and how it "may" damage us or children and how they are not responsible. The lead readings were off the charts. We get mad when Chine paints with lead yet our city has us drinking it everyday and no cares or knows! Well any how we are drinking more water now. We had a Brita filter but it was only taking out the chlorine and nothing else. So drink and explode, careful you might be flamable. Get your water tested today!

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Permalink Reply by Slim on August 1, 2008 at 12:29pm

I drink a gallon of water everyday. It has taken me a while to randomly schedule my consumption throughout the day. My body had to also get used to having that amount of liquid running through my body in order to avoid going to the bathroom every twenty minutes. I also limit my consumption of other liquids, coffee and diet soda to my meals. Sometimes, I will skip the favorite beverage for a glass of iced water with a slice of lemon. I believe with a proper nutritional diet, water can replace the fat one consumes during the day and flush it out. Water also prevent hunger which for me is a good thing since I love to eat food. Water is also a purifier in that it removes the amount of salt I ingest. That is what I like to believe is working for me.

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Permalink Reply by Rezal on August 1, 2008 at 7:10pm

I don't count on glasses. I always carry a bottle of water at work and when I feel thirst, I'll drink a little but very frequent. I feel that 8 glasses is recommended amount, but how much water is needed to maintain hydration level is very depend on many factors eg: weather condition, physical activity etc.. So, rules of thumb is by following your thirst. To monitor your hydration level? - Check your pee color. (See below chart)