Water Intake!

I consistently get asked the age old question “how much water should I drink per day?”  One of the most common answers to this question is “Eight glasses of eight ounces”.  However, this is not the best answer to achieve an adequate intake of water.   Furthermore, there is not a universal number that applies to everyone.

Let’s look at this way: a 250 pound man needs much more water intake than a 120 pound female.   So then how do we recommend water intake to an individual?  The Institute of Medicine and many Registered Dieticians suggest consuming half of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day.

Example:  If a person weighs 200 pounds, half of that number is 100, so he or she would need 100 ounces of water per day to achieve proper hydration.    It’s important to note that this amount of water does not mean any beverage – it should come from drinking water specifically – not coffee, alcohol,  fruit juice, sodas, etc.

In closing,  this is not an in depth discussion on Hydration, as it is a very complex topic.  This is just a guide to assist you in establishing an adequate amount of water intake per day.