Half your weight in Water

Posted by Victoria Anisman-Reiner Nov 16, 2006

Water, water everywhere... We've been told by every health professional from doctors and nurses, to naturopaths and energy healers: water makes everything in your body work better. Drinking enough water can assist in balancing every organ and system in your body, from the immune system and the endocrine and digestive systems to assisting with the health of your kidneys, liver, colon, skin, memory, energy levels, weight loss and more.

Unfortunately, there are too many guidelines about how much water you need. Eight glasses a day? How many ounces are there in a glass - 8, 12, or 10? Says who?

I've got a new guideline that may be helpful to those of you looking to stay hydrated and keep your body strong and young. It requires a bit of math... but it's easy math.

Start by taking your body weight in pounds (no, you don't have to tell anyone).

Divide that number by two.

Presto! That's how many ounces of water you need to drink in a day, at a minimum.

(e.g. If you weigh 150 lbs. ---> 150 / 2 = 75 ounces per day)

Well, how much is that? I can guesstimate a cup by eye, but ounces are a little trickier.

An easy way to eyeball it is this. The average water glass is about 8 ounces when it's almost full. Take your ounces per day and divide by 8 (or 10, if 8 is too stressful). That's how many glasses of water your body needs on a relaxing day.

(e.g. 75 ounces / 8 = a little over 9 glasses of water per day)

If you drink coffee, tea, or other sugared or caffeinated beverages, add another 8-ounce glass to your water requirement for every cup of coffee, tea, coke, etc. that you drink.

Didn't I say it was easy?

The hard part is figuring out how to tote all that water around and remembering to drink it. I keep a bottle or a glass of water beside my computer, my work table, even near my bed, so I'm sipping all day, whether I feel thirsty or not - if you feel thirsty, it means you're already slightly dehydrated.

Coffee, black or green tea, and sugary juices (whether they're natural or not) do not count towards your water needs. If you're seeking variety, however, herbal teas and rice, soy, or nut milks can be a good option that will count as water to your body.