Wow, it’s hot outside!

I live in the South… home of dumplins, obsessive football fans and hot, humid summers. But this year, the rest of the country decided to get in on the fun.

People always wonder how much water they really need to be drinking. It doesn’t help that every expert seems to have their own (different) opinion.

I saw a news spot yesterday morning with their tips for beating the heat. They threw out the typical, broad-brush “drink 8, 8-oz glasses of water a day” thing.

I’ve written about water before, but let’s get a little more specific this time.

8 glasses a day? Do they even know why they’re recommending that much water? Let alone for EVERY person watching the morning newscast?

No, they don’t. No one really knows. It probably comes from the (actual) fact that most people lose about 2.5 liters of water a day from fun stuff like urine, feces, sweat, saliva, tears… you get the idea. So some doctor looked at those numbers and, in a moment of sheer doctor brilliance, said that we need to drink the same amount of water every day to balance things out. ‘8-8‘ was born.

OK, I sort of get that logic, but that doctor overlooked a few things.

Let’s just use some common sense to give us an idea.

If people need water to be healthy, then it makes sense that we should probably be drinking it. But how much is a “healthy” amount?

The answer sounds like a copout: It depends.

What I mean is it varies slightly based on the person, the weather, etc.

• Is it hot outside? Drink more water than you normally would.
• Is the humidity like a sauna? Drink even more.
• Are you overweight? You need more water than someone who’s not.
• Are you sick or injured? Drink up.

Are you active? (be honest) Athletes require more water to replace the extra fluids they lose. People who exercise at a high intensity or for long periods of time need even more water, but they also have to replenish all the good stuff lost through sweating (think less ‘sports drinks’ and more ‘fruits & veggies’).

Side Tip: Want to replace electrolytes without all that sugar? You need to down some coconut water. It has electrolytes, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids (similar to our blood).

Do you eat well? You may not need as much water. Water in food also counts!

Diets high in fruits & vegetables, as well as fresh lean meats, have a higher intrinsic water content that diets that are heavy on grains or overly processed.

If you don’t get a lot of fruits/veggies, step up your water chuggage.

Side Tip: Don’t drink 15 minutes before or after your meals.  Why? Your stomach is basically a sack of hydrochloric acid. Dump extra fluid into it and you dilute the acid, making it harder to digest your food. Not good.

I admit, most people take in a decent amount of fluids during the day. The problem is, they’re taking in the wrong kinds of fluids that are total garbage.

Can people get enough fluid from soda, coffee, tea, beer & Red Bull? [Big sigh] Yeah… sure they can. But does that strike anyone besides me as dumb?

Would you give your dog/cat a bowlful of soda to drink? Are you really all that different (physiologically, of course)?

Remember, we’re trying to drink enough to maintain health… we’re NOT aiming to drink just enough to prevent dehydration or avoid illness!

Just drink clean water, as often as you can. You’ll get all the hydration without all the crap. If you’re craving a sports drink… go for some coconut water.

The Bottom Line

So I haven’t really answered the question: How much water do we need a day?

Simple… When in doubt, let thirst be your guide.

Here’s the thing: Water is pretty a important thing to your cells. It’s so important that your body designed its own little quality control mechanism that notices when you lose even 1-2% of your total body water. Let this happen, and watch your body politely trip an alarm that tells your brain you need to go drink something… soon-ish.

Your thirst response is a reliable physiological instinct that’s saved us from dehydration for thousands of years. Hint: It still works.

So, if you’re thirsty: Listen to your body and drink!