How much water do you need to drink?

Water, as is often pointed out, is essential to both survival and good health. Your body is made up of about 60 % water. Your cells are bathed in it, contain it, and rely on it to both receive nutrients and to get rid of waste.

It is often quoted that one should drink 8 glasses of water per day. This is a good place to start, but how much you really need depends on a lot of factors. Your water requirements will change depending on:

• how much you weigh
• your exercise/activity level
• the climate (hot, cold, humid, dry, etc)
• the elevation you are at (you need more at higher elevations)
• illness
• if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

A quick way to figure out how much water you need is to take your body weight in pounds, divide it by 2, and drink that many ounces of water. For example, a 150 pound individual would need to drink about 75 ounces of water in a day. ( 150 / 2 = 75 )

Signs of dehydration include:

• fatigue
• sluggishness
• headaches
• loss of appetite
• feeling excessively hot
• light-headedness
• nausea

One of the easiest ways to tell if you are well hydrated is by checking your urine. If you are well-hydrated, your urine will be dilute, and pale in color. A small amount of concentrated, dark-colored urine is a signal you should drink more.