If you've received massage from me, you know I always remind you to drink plenty of water. But do you know how much is enough water for you? When I ask people about their daily water intake, most clients tell me something like "I know I don't drink enough water". When I follow up by asking them how much they should drink, they invariably can't tell me.
The human body is about 60% water. The brain alone is 85% water. Nearly every function of the body needs water to make it happen; yet we presume that our bodies will naturally maintain a healthy water balance with little conscious effort on our part. Your body eliminates water through breathing, sweating and urination. The primary purpose for releasing water is to carry away toxins that accumulate in the body as byproducts of metabolism. Because of this regular elimination, we need to consciously replenish water to maintain proper hydration.
The
standard recommendation for daily water consumption is eight 8 ounce glasses or
64 ounces. That's two quarts. Who do you know drinks two quarts of water each
day? There's a problem with this standard, however as it does not take into
account, body weight, activity level, or the climate you live in.
F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., author of the book Your Body's Many Cries for Water, suggests that we drink half of our body weight in ounces each day. So the recommendation of 64 ounces would actually be best for someone weighing around 130 pounds. What if you weigh 200 pounds? You'd actually be dehydrated drinking only 2 quarts. You'd have to drink, 100 ounces or just over three quarts daily!
|
Body Weight |
100 |
110 |
120 |
130 |
140 |
150 |
160 |
170 |
| Ounces | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 80 | 85 |
|
Quarts |
1.6 |
1.7 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
2.5 |
2.7 |
|
8oz Glasses |
6.3 |
6.9 |
7.5 |
8.1 |
8.8 |
9.4 |
10.0 |
10.6 |
|
Body Weight |
180 |
190 |
200 |
210 |
220 |
230 |
240 |
250 |
| Ounces | 90 | 95 | 100 | 105 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 125 |
|
Quarts |
2.8 |
3.0 |
3.1 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
|
8oz Glasses |
11.3 |
11.9 |
12.5 |
13.1 |
13.8 |
14.4 |
15.0 |
15.6 |
I'm more inclined to agree with Batmanghelidj's recommendation. Don't count caffeinic beverages like coffee, tea, or many soda pops as part of your water intake. Caffeine is a diuretic, which increases water elimination. The same goes for cranberries, cranberry juice and asparagus. Alcoholic beverages will also dehydrate you, since the liver uses about 8 ounces of body water to process 1 ounce of alcohol.
"I get enough water because I drink when I'm thirsty", is a typical attitude. Thirst is not an accurate gauge to measure hydration. By the time your thirst reflex kicks in, your body is already two quarts low. In fact, with cases of chronic dehydration the body will stimulate the hunger reflex as an attempt to get water even before the thirst reflex. The best way to judge hydration is by the color of your urine. It should appear pale yellow to clear. Any darker than that and you are starting to dehydrate.
Most people respond to this advice with "but I'll be peeing all day!" Yes, as you gradually increase your water intake to the proper amount, the frequency of urination will increase. This is good because the body is finally able to eliminate the metabolic waste that it has stored in muscle and organ tissue. Within about a week, your body will find a balance where the frequency of urination will diminish while the color remains in the pale yellow to clear range.
It's hard to change habits over night, so start gradually. Begin reducing or eliminating dehydrating beverages from your diet. Begin increasing the amount of plain water you consume. Pay attention to the color of your urine.
Sources
Batmanghelidj, M.D., F Your Body's Many Cries for Water
Weil, M.D., Andrew Drink More Water? DrWeil.com