How much water do you drink daily?
Some of you may have an approximate guess, but most people really don’t keep track or put much thought into their water consumption.
The common recommendation is for everyone to drink 8 glasses of water each day, which is vague and not individualized.
How many ounces in each “glass”?
A 250 lb male should drink the same 8 glasses as a 110 lb female?
What about children?
Professional athletes should have the same as someone who works in an office all day?
Making a one size fits all recommendation like this obviously has flaws.
So then the question remains, how much water should you be drinking for optimal health?
In this article we will be covering:
- Common signs of dehydration (not getting enough water)
- Benefits of drinking plenty of water
- How much water you should be drinking
- Tips and strategies to meet your daily hydration needs
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Common Signs of Dehydration
Our bodies consist of around 60% water.
We are constantly losing water through urination, sweat, respiration, and other bodily functions.
It makes sense that if we aren’t getting an adequate amount of this essential liquid we can experience negative health effects.
Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms you are dehydrated:
- Headaches
- Brain fog and feeling lethargic
- Thirst
- Weakened immune system
- Low energy/fatigue
- Dizziness or feeling light-headed
- Dry mouth
- Poor detoxification
- Decreased urination
- Muscle weakness
- Digestive issues
- Constipation
- Muscle cramps
- And many other potential issues
The muscles in your digestive tract need to be well hydrated in order to perform their job. That is why when you are not getting enough water and/or minerals you can experience digestive problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and even hemorrhoids.
Keep in mind, you can experience any of these symptoms for reasons having nothing to do with dehydration.
This list is common symptoms that can occur, and if you haven’t been drinking enough high-quality water, then you know that may be an easy place to start when trying to resolve these issues.
Health Benefits of Drinking Enough Water
When our bodies intake toxins, water can help by transporting them out of the body through urination, stool, and sweat.
This can help to reduce your chances of kidney stones or urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Proper hydration will also help stimulate your lymphatic system which is a critical aspect of your immune system and detoxification abilities.
Phit Tip: Combine proper hydration with sauna therapy to really increase detoxification.
“Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body requires water to function properly”
4. Can Reduce and Eliminate Headaches
Headaches are all too common in today’s world. It is estimated that 80-90% of the population suffers from tension headaches at some point in their lives. (5)
Studies show that drinking water can help to resolve headaches in folks who are dehydrated. (6)
While there are many other causes of headaches besides dehydration, this is one of the most common causes and is easily resolved by upper your intake of high-quality water.
5. Improve Digestion
Drinking water can help resolve constipation, among other digestive disorders, since the muscles in the intestines requite hydration to function optimally.(7)(8)
I’ve worked with many folks who solved their constipation by following my simple hydration protocol.
6. May Decrease Risk of Kidney Stones
If you or anyone you know has ever suffered from kidney stones, then you know it’s a painful problem everyone should take measures to avoid.
This study found that high water consumption is the first line of therapy for preventing kidney stones. (9)
This is likely due to the higher volume of water will reduce the concentration of minerals and decrease the likelihood of them clumping up and forming stones.
Another potential reason for kidney stones is excessively high acidic urinary pH which is caused from consuming too many acidic foods and beverages (10)
Check out our list of alkaline foods to eat in order to reduce your chances of dietary acidosis.
7. Skin Hydration and Acne Reduction
Anyone who has dealt with acne and skin issues knows how terrible it can be.
Getting enough high-quality water directly affects your skin hydration, which then in turn impacts your overall skin health.
Drinking high-quality water may be one of the cheapest and simplest things you can do to improve your skin health.
8. Improves Physical Performance
Not getting enough water can be especially problematic when exercising in mild-moderate heat.
Lack of water can impair temperature control and make exercise feel more challenging which can reduce physical performance as a result. (11)
Since muscle is made up of mostly water (about 80%) it makes sense that optimal hydration would make exercise feel easier and reduce oxidative stress. (12)
How Much Water Should You be Drinking?
- As a general rule of thumb, drinking half or body weight in pounds in ounces of high-quality water is a great place to start.
- Exercise frequency and intensity
- Hot and/or humid environment
- Heavy sweating, such as regular hot yoga or sauna usage
- Detoxification protocol
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
For example, if you weight 150 lbs, then you should have 75 ounces of high-quality water per day.
Certain lifestyle factors do influence your need for water, such as:
If any of the above categories apply to you, then consider increasing your water intake even further.
Hydration is about much more than just drinking water.
The quality of water you are drinking is of the utmost importance as well as getting a proper balance of electrolytes, minerals, and trace minerals.
To ensure you are getting enough minerals/trace minerals with your water, we recommend using Concern trace mineral drops.
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If you are very active and sweat frequently, consider incorporating this high-quality electrolyte powder to our water which tastes great and will help provide additional hydration benefits. Ultima Replenisher Hydrating Electrolyte Powder, Cherry Pomegrante, 90 Servings, No Sugar Full Disclosure: We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Tips and strategies to meet your daily hydration needs
Staying hydrated is easy in theory, but put into practice it is easy to forget to drink enough water while you are preoccupied with all the other things in your busy day.
Here are 5 tips to help consistently meet your recommended daily water intake
- Drink water first thing in the morning right when you wake up
Before doing anything else in the morning, drink down 1 oz of water for each 10 lbs of body weight. So if you weigh 120 lbs, have 12 ounces of water within 5 minutes of getting out of bed. (180 lbs, 18 ounces. etc.)
This is an excellent way to get your day started off on the right foot. It will hydrate your cells, boost your metabolism, get your bowels moving, and much more!
We lose over 1 pound of water while we sleep every night, mainly through respiration.
Put the water on your bedside table the night before you go to sleep, and make it a habit to drink it down right when you wake up.
2. Eat plenty of Hydrating plant foods
Vegetables and fruits are loaded with structured water, which is the most superior form of water to hydrate your cells.
They also contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will help you lose weight and improve your health.
Phit tip: Juicing vegetables is an awesome way to increase your consumption in an easy to consume, bioavailable manor.
3. Use a Large Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Keeping your water in the same 40oz water bottle enables you to easily track how much you are drinking. Penguin Cold Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle – 32 oz. & 40 oz. BPA-free Wide Mouth Water Bottle with Black Handle Lid (Gunmetal, 32 oz.) Full Disclosure: We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Lets say you weigh 160lbs, you would need to drink roughly 2 full water bottles each day. So if lunch time comes around and you have only had ½ of your first fill, you know you need to up your intake.
This also reduced environmental impact, saves you money, and enables you to avoid other health issues from using disposable plastic bottles.
4. Get High-Quality Sea Salt
Salt has been wrongly demonized for decades by health professions, making recommendations to reduce your sodium consumption.
While it is true that getting too much sea salt can be problematic, so can not getting enough.
When it comes to salt and your body, it’s all about balance.
Be sure you are getting enough potassium rich foods in your diet since potassium and sodium levels need to be properly balanced.
One of the main issues with table salt is that most of it is refined and processed.
Real mineral-rich sea salt contains over 80 trace minerals and is very good for your health in the right amounts.
Getting enough good salt in your diet will aid your body in hydration.
5. Intake Electrolytes, Minerals, and Trace Minerals Along With Your Water
As mentioned previous, water is only part of the equation for optimal hydration.
It is essential to get enough minerals along with your water so that it can properly hydrate your cells.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding Concerntrace mineral drops to your water. ConcentTrace Trace Mineral Drops Full Disclosure: We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
This will supply you with 72 ionic trace minerals, along with magnesium and other essential minerals to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need to stay hydrated.
Making your water taste good is also important, which is why Superior electrolyte powder can also be very helpful in getting you to drink more water and providing your body with important electrolytes.
Closing Thoughts
After reading this article you now know the common signs of dehydration, why staying hydrated is so important, how much water you should be drinking each day, and tips on achieving optimal hydration.
I hope you learned some valuable information that you will incorporate into your life to look better, feel fantastic, and improve your overall health.
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