Staying hydrated is crucial for our well-being and general health. Unfortunately, many people don’t consume enough water in a day and are not really sure how much they should drink. The general assumption is that 8 glasses a day is enough, yet most people barely get that in.

Our lives and bodies are all different, which means we all have different water requirements in order for us to be feeling our best. Dehydration can happen when there is an abundance in the outflow of water, meaning that you’re losing more fluid than you’re taking in. There are many things that change how much water we should be drinking:

  1. Exercise: any activity that makes you sweat, you will need extra water to replace fluid loss. Drink water just before, during, and right after a workout or any strenuous activity.
  2. Environment: hot, humid summer days or climates increase the chances of dehydration. Working outdoors, playing sports, hanging out at the beach or even an afternoon hanging out in your yard can cause your body to lose excess fluids. Babies, young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems or chronic health conditions can be at a higher risk of dehydration in hot, humid environments.
  3. Overall health: your body can also lose fluids with illness, fever, vomiting or diarrhea. Medications can also cause dehydration. Ask your doctor about this and if your medication or health condition does deplete body fluids, make sure you are drinking enough water to support your health.
  4. Pregnancy and breastfeeding: if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may need additional fluids to stay hydrated. An increase of 300 ml a day is suggested for pregnant women and 700 ml for breastfeeding women. This is to support fetal circulation, amniotic fluid, a higher blood volume, and to compensate for the water lost through breast milk.
  5. Poor nutritional habits: processed foods are high in table salt and preservatives that can rob your body of fluids. Beverages like coffee, caffeinated teas, and alcohol will also cause dehydration if you aren’t supplementing with extra water. For every cup of these, drink at least one cup of water. Detox teas, if overdone, will also have a dehydrating effect on the body. A diet devoid of carbohydrates — high in protein or low in fruits and vegetables — will also cause depletion of water. Eating foods high in water content can increase your intake by up to 1 litre a day.

Approximately 60% of the body is made up of water, so in order for it to work optimally, we need to make sure we are staying hydrated. Otherwise, our health can dramatically decline.

There are many symptoms of dehydration:

  • Low energy and lethargy
  • Food cravings and feeling of being hungry
  • Headache
  • Brain fog
  • Lightheadedness
  • High heart rate but low blood pressure
  • Muscle cramps and joint pain
  • Dry skin
  • Swelling in legs and feet
  • Heat intolerance
  • Constipation
  • Dark-coloured urine
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety

Being hydrated has many benefits, a lot of which you may not even realize:

  • Maintains the fluid balance of the body
  • Regulates body temperature
  • Carries nutrients to our cells
  • Aids digestion by forming stomach secretions
  • Flushes bodily waste
  • Keeps kidneys healthy
  • Keeps moisture-rich organs (our eyes, skin, mouth, and nose) functioning well
  • Fights fatigue and gives you extra energy
  • Helps clear skin
  • Prevents muscle cramps
  • Regulates body temperature and metabolism
  • Plays a crucial role in disease prevention
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Promotes cartilage health
  • Slows the signs of aging

Many people do not understand how important drinking enough water is for your health and what it does to the body when you are dehydrated. A lot of our day-to-day symptoms like headaches, tiredness, brain fog, food cravings, and dry skin/hair, could get better if we were fully hydrated.

Another issue that people might be concerned about is not wanting to be running to the bathroom all day. This is what happens at first, but it does level out once your body creates a better fluid balance.

So how much water should we drink?

  1. The first step to knowing how much water to drink every day is to know your weight. The amount of water a person should drink depends on their weight. Someone who is 200 lb and someone who is 130 lb will require different amounts of water each day.
  2. Next, you want to multiply your weight by 67%, to determine how much water to drink daily in ounces. For example, if you weigh 175 pounds, multiply that by 0.67 (175 x 0.67 = 117) This means you should be drinking about 117 ounces of water every day, approximately 3 ¾ litres of water.
  3. Then you will want to adjust that number based on how often you work out or how active you are. This would also include working outside in hot weather, since you are expelling water when you sweat. You should be adding 8–12 ounces (approximately 240–355 ml) of water to your daily total for every 30 minutes that you’re active. That means if you work out or are active for 45 minutes, you would add 18 ounces (approximately 530 ml) of water to your daily intake.

Then take into consideration the other factors listed above that could make it necessary to increase your water intake.

If you drink caffeine, take medications, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have health concerns like high blood pressure or diabetes, etc., you would want to increase your water intake by adding 500 to 1000 ml (17 to 34 oz) extra a day on top of what you need due to the environmental factors.

This can be hard until you create a habit around it. Here are some great tips that help to get more water in every day:

  1. Eat more vegetables and low-sugar fruits.
  2. Eat fewer processed foods.
  3. Wake up and drink 1–2 glasses of water.
  4. Cut back on caffeine and alcohol intake.
  5. Keep a stainless steel or glass water bottle with you all the time and sip throughout your day.
  6. Drink 8 oz before exercise, strenuous activity or outdoor activity.
  7. Sip water throughout exercise and activity.
  8. Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge with lemons or limes, cucumber, and/or mint leaves.
  9. Drink warm water with lemon, and a bit of honey or stevia.

Even mild dehydration can affect your mental, physical, and emotional health. Drinking enough water should be a daily habit you focus on first when you get started on becoming healthier. It is an essential nutrient for the body. Besides the obvious, water also contains a small percentage of electrolytes (which are essential minerals) that the body needs for optimal health.

If you aren’t currently getting in enough water, slowly increase your intake weekly until you get to the desired amount. This is a great way to create a firm habit around it without being overwhelmed with the change.