Water: how much and why.

During my research, I realized that it seems not 1 university or study can agree on how much water we really need.  In one study it said everyone should drink 8- 8oz glasses of water per day. Another one suggest that if you take your weight and divide it by 2- that's how many oz you should drink. Example: if you are 150 pounds you should drink 75 ounces of water per day.  And the study that I am choosing to follow (The Institute of Medicine) says that men need to drink 3 liters- about 13 cups and women need to drink 2.2 liters- about 9 cups per day. If you are doing mild exercise then you should increase your water intake to about 1.5 to 2.5 additional cups per day and if the weather is hot or you are exercising for more than 30 minutes you need to add at least 3 more cups.

Another thing, if you are pregnant or nursing, you should drink 10 to 13 glasses of water per day (not counting the water you need if it is hot or you are exercising)

It really just comes down to this: if you are drinking enough water, your urine should be colorless and odorless.

What can happen if you don't drink enough water?


If you are not drinking enough water you may experience 1 or more of the following:

-thirst
-loss of appetite
-dry skin
-skin flushing
-dark urine
-dry mouth
-tiredness
-weakness
-chills
-head rushes

If you are dehydrated for extended periods of time you may experience:

-increased heart rate
-increased respirations
-decreased sweating
-decrease in urine output
-increase in body temp
-extreme fatigue
-muscle cramps
-headaches
-stomach aches
-tingling in 1 or more of the following- arms, hands, legs and feet

Benefits of drinking enough water-


-Drinking enough water gets rid of toxic substances you take in.
-It protects your urinary tract from infection and the development of stones.
-It helps prevent Gall Bladder stones.
-It increases your internal fluids and promotes a healthy blood flow throughout the body.  Which prevents the obstruction of your arteries-which causes heart attack and stroke.
-It opens up your pores and helps to prevent the growth of bacteria which causes acne.
-It gives you a healthy complexion and keeps your skin hydrated (less lotion in the winter :)
-Keeps your stool soft.