The rule of thumb for water consumption is as follows:
Every day, drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water, PLUS an additional glass of water for every caffeinated beverage you consume.
(And no, sadly, seltzer/club soda is not the same. The carbonation actually makes the body more acidic, whereas water is alkaline.)
In case you were wondering why water is so important, here are a few (of the many) reasons:
- More than half (60% to be exact) of the human body is comprised of water.
- Every, single cell of the body requires H2O to operate.On a very basic level, cells cannot get nutrients in and remove toxins without water.
- By the time you’re “thirsty” your body is already largely dehydrated.
- People often mistake hunger for dehydration,so be sure to drink a glass of water before you reach for food and see if the hunger remains after that.
- The human body can go weeks without food. Water, on the other hand, barely a few days.