How much water should you drink?

There is lots of noise out there about proper hydration for optimum health. There are diet plans that call for extraordinary amounts of water consumption (1 gallon or more daily!), and it seems like the common advice is to simply “drink more water.” There’s the rule of thumb which says to drink half your body weight in oz of water daily. So a 175 lb person like me should have 87.5 oz of water a day – or an 8 oz glass of water 11 times.

But what if I exercise? What if I eat lots of fruits & veggies? What if I sit outside in the hot sun and read all day? To me, these are all variables that make the rule of thumb unreliable. Additionally, while it is rare to drink too much water, it’s not good for your kidneys to over hydrate. So what should you do?

In my opinion, you should mind your pee. That’s right. The color of your urine tells you if you are properly hydrated regardless of how much water you drank. The lighter the color, the better your hydration – generally. If your pee is clear to ‘diluted lemonade’ then you are good. Brighter yellow to apple juice means trouble.

Personal Tips & Observations:

-Sleeping dehydrates you. I have a big drink first thing in the morning (20 oz at least) to relieve dehydration, start my digestive system before breakfast, help me feel more full before I eat, and wake me up. I think this is a good habit.

-Drinking a big glass of water before every meal will help you to eat less because you will feel more full.

-Have a water bottle with you at your desk or work place all day. Drink from it often.

-Certain medications or vitamins will discolor your pee for a few hours, so don’t freak out about that.

-Have a headache or feeling ‘hangry’ (aka: hungry/ irritable/ angry)? Drink a big glass of water first. Give it 10 minutes to see if it makes you feel better. Many times it will. This is your body telling you that you are dehydrated.

-Please do not replace water with soda, sports drinks, coffee, alcohol, juice, milk, etc. Your body needs water. While some juice, milk, wine and plain coffee may have some health benefits, MOST are filled with artificial and chemical ingredients that do more harm than good.

This has been a public service announcement from Team Quadzilla. Adequate hydration leads to increased awesomeness. Have a beautiful day!