The average healthy person needs to drink water every day. Men need about 3.7 liters of fluids every day. Women need 2.7 liters a day.
Some people need to drink more or less fluid. This might depend on things like their age, weight, and other factors.
- If you do any exercise, you may need to drink extra water. Drink before your workout, during it and after it.
- In hot or humid weather, you may need to drink more water. You can also get dehydrated at high altitudes.
- When you have diarrhea, vomiting or fever, your body loses fluids. It’s recommended that you drink more water or oral rehydration solutions to stay healthy.
- If you have a bladder infection or urinary tract stones, your doctor might tell you to drink more fluids.
- If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you may need more fluid.
Is it true that water is the only way to stay hydrated?
You don’t need to just count on water to fulfill your hydration demands. What you eat also plays an important role. Vegetables like celery and spinach are made up of mostly water. Other water based beverages like decaffeinated teas and milk are mostly water. But stay away from beverages that are mostly sugar like soda and other sugar loaded beverages.
How can I tell if I’m drinking enough water?
If you are drinking enough water you will have colorless urine and you won’t be thirsty.
How Can I Tell If I am Not Drinking Enough Water?
If you are not drinking enough water you will:
- have yellow urine
- be thirsty
- have dry skin
- feel tired or dizzy
- have a headache
- have constipation
Make water your go-to drink to prevent dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it requires. A good rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water. That means if you weigh 170 pounds, you should drink at least 85 ounces of water a day.
Can I drink too much water?
This is a common question from people who have been told to drink plenty of fluids. For most people drinking too much water is not an issue.
Some people think that if they drink too much water, they may suffer from a condition known as water intoxication or hyponatremia. In fact, this condition can be life-threatening and has occurred in some endurance events when they drank extreme amounts of water in trying to prevent dehydration during intense and / or long periods of physical activity.
But the opposite condition — dehydration (having too little water in your body) — is much more common and can cause serious problems if it’s allowed to progress.
In conclusion, how much water you drink per day is personal. Most reports recommend drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water.
You should aim to drink enough fluids each day to stay hydrated and healthy.
It is always important to listen to your body and drink fluids when you feel thirsty. If you are not sure how much water to drink per day, ask your doctor what they think.
If you are looking to improve your overall health and wellness and lose weight, call us at 215-821-7336 to schedule your weight loss consultation.