Are you drinking enough water?

Water helps regulate and maintain your body temperature, it helps transport nutrients and oxygen, removes waste products, and moistens your mouth, eyes, nose, hair, skin, joints and digestive tract.  Each day fluid losses occur continuously from sweating, breathing, urine, and stool.  These fluid losses must be replaced to remain in good health.  When your water intake does not equal your output, you can become dehydrated.  Water depletion is accentuated in warmer climates, higher altitudes and during strenuous exercise.


From Web MD here are the six reasons to make sure you’re drinking enough water:

1. Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids

  • Your body is composed of 60% water. When you’re low on fluids, the brain triggers your body’s thirst mechanism.  Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication to cause excess exertion of fluids which can lead to dehydration. 
  • Water is used to maintain blood volume which is imperative for regulating body temperature and delivering oxygen and nutrients to the rest of the body.

2. Water can help control calories

  • Hydration helps with satiety- feeling full. 

3. Water helps energize muscles

  • When muscle cells don’t have adequate fluids, they don’t work as well and performance can suffer. The American College of Sports Medicine recommend that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. 

4. Water helps keep skin looking good

  • Your skin contains plenty of water and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.  Dehydration makes your skin look dry and wrinkled. 

5. Water helps your kidneys

  • If you chronically drink too little water, you are at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warmer climates.

6. Water helps maintain normal bowel function

  • Adequate fluid and fiber keep things flowing along your GI tract to prevent constipation. When you don’t get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration- resulting in constipation. 


To determine how much water you should be getting each day:

  • Divide your weight by 2. (160 pounds/2 = 80)  80 is the amount in ounces a 160 lb. person should get each day
  • Divide the amount in ounces by 8 (ounces in one cup) (80/10 = 8) 8 cups of water each day


Daily water intake calculator:


Water intake during activity in different climates:


Let’s make June hydration month.  Go!

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