How Much Water Should I Drink Explained

Water is essential to life. How much water should you drink?

A simple rule of thumb for how much water you should drink is
half your body weight in ounces.

Example:
A 110 lbs. woman needs 55 oz or about 6.9-8 oz. cups.
A man 240 lbs. needs 120 oz. or 15-8 oz. cups.

Sound like a lot?! Well, it may, however your body requires water to the run many different systems through out your body. For instance:  

Diagram found here

I hope this compels you to take your water drinking seriously. Not drinking enough water effects how you feel, how well your body functions, and even how you look. Often times when you feel tired or hungry it is simply because you need more water. Unhealthy skin and yellowish whites in the eyes can be the result of not drinking enough water. Drinking water should be a major part of every health regime. It is inexpensive too. What a no brainer.  

                                                    

Be aware of the quality of your water though.  Not all water is equal.

   Know your source. Know the purity.

Across the globe there are millions of people who travel daily for hours to obtain barely enough water for their survival and the majority of that water is unsafe. In America we feel safe. Are we? Your skin is your largest organ. Showering with unfiltered chlorinated water is drying. How much is the chlorine effected you? Do you drink tap water? Do you have a filtration system? Are you buying bottle water? 

"Not that long ago, reusable bottles made of clear, hard, polycarbonate plastic were the hippest water carriers to have, beloved by hikers and college students alike.

Then came a draft report from the National Toxicology Program in April 2008 about possible health risks from a chemical in the polycarbonate known as bisphenol A (BPA). Though it soft-pedaled the reasons for concern (there is actually an alarming amount of scientific evidence that BPA may be highly toxic), the news was widely carried in the media and the bottles' appeal evaporated overnight." (Info from here)

Factories full of bottles that will be transported to your local store.
They'll travel in a truck in all kinds of weather.
Heat increases the danger that BPA already poses.

And so it goes....what is safe? What is not? If you aren't drinking enough water, why aren't you? If you are drinking a lot of water or are working to increase your intake learn more about water. The water you drink is feeding the cells in your body. It is an essential life source.