By Laurel Beatty
09 April 2010

There is too much one-size-fits-all advice on how to live and how to take care of ourselves that is simply not borne out when we consider that, as humans, we range in size from very small to very large, each of us with a unique metabolism and each with our own special needs.

For instance, we've all heard that we should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Personally, I ignore this old wives' tale. Your individual need for water depends on your weight, level of activity, the temperature and humidity of your environment, and your diet. Your size and metabolism are important yet your diet makes a huge difference because if you eat plenty of water-dense foods like fruits and vegetables your need to drink water will be less than someone who avoids these types of foods.

So why do so many experts tell us to drink eight glasses of water daily without accounting for gender, weight, activity and other issues? The simple answer is that people like to take shortcuts, i.e., a lot of us are lazy, even our medical advisors.

Before one can figure out how much water is needed daily one needs to look at the many reasons why it's important to drink water in the first place. Let's take a look at this from a dieter's perspective because:

Drinking Water Is Important for Weight Loss
While dieting, your initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water. Because of this, you need to drink an adequate amount of water in order to avoid dehydration. The vast majority of patients at our medical clinic are dehydrated when we test them so losing water weight only exacerbates their dehydration problem. Caution: Do not decrease your water intake as a means to lose weight.

The burning of calories requires an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently because dehydration slows down our metabolic process. An alarming number of us are dehydrated and don't know it, therefore we feel tired and operate less efficiently, which leads to fewer calories being burned and less weight loss... Now that's interesting.

Toxins are problematic. Burning calories creates toxins and water plays a vital role in flushing them out of your body. Our fat cells naturally lock in toxins so they can't float around inside our bodies. As we shed fat we release these toxins. We need to flush these out of our system during the weight loss process. The more toxins we flush out of our system the better we feel.

Dehydration can cause a reduction in blood volume. A reduction in blood volume can cause a reduction in the supply of oxygen to our muscles. A reduction in the supply of oxygen to our muscles can make us feel tired. Water helps maintain muscle tone by assisting muscles in their ability to contract. It also lubricates our joints. Proper hydration can help reduce muscle and joint soreness, especially when exercising.

A healthy weight loss diet includes adequate fiber. But while fiber is normally helpful to our digestive system, without adequate fluids it can cause constipation instead of helping to eliminate it. You need adequate water to flush excess fiber out of your system and avoid constipation.

Drinking water with a meal may make you feel fuller sooner which means you may eat less. However, drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel sated, our bodies need bulk, calories and nutrients yet it's smart to consume water with every meal.

How Much Water Should You Drink?
The engineers among you can do some research, use a calculator and carefully measure your needs, however, nature's really good at letting you know the right amount of water to drink. An easy indicator is that your urine will usually be pale yellow, keeping in mind that vitamin supplements and antibiotics can discolor it. On the flipside, you shouldn't need to go too frequently. In any event, when in doubt, drink a little more water.

Another wives' tale is that too much water will make you look bloated. There are a number of causes for water retention, including consuming too much salt. But drinking water is not one of them. You simply will not feel or look bloated from drinking water.

While it is possible to harm yourself by drinking too much water, it really requires quite an effort. Either through obsessive-compulsive behavior or extended athletic activity, drinking large amounts of water can dilute the electrolytes like sodium and potassium in your blood to the point that it interferes with brain, heart and muscle function. You read about an athlete overdoing his water intake on rare occasions yet these are extreme cases.

Drinking Water Tips
Drinking any liquids provides your body with a source of water but note that diuretics, like caffeinated drinks and alcohol, cause your body to expel more water than is absorbed. So, when drinking diuretics drink even more water to compensate for this.

On those occasions when you're drinking alcohol, which means you've lost your target weight and you're in your maintenance phase, drinking water along with the alcohol may eliminate a hangover headache and feeling of tiredness.

Here's a good indicator: When you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Try to avoid this situation by drinking in advance. Be especially careful when participating in activities where you won't be able to stop to get caught up. Be sure to plan ahead and have water available.

Your water needs are unique to you so use these tips to govern your intake. And, oh yeah, one piece of advice that I live by is to start each day with a glass of water. Skip the fancy electrolyte drinks and drink a free glass of water first thing each morning.