We asked a registered nutritionist how much water you actually need

When spring approaches, many of us use the heat and enjoy as much vitamin D as possible. But when the temperatures rise, it becomes more important to remain hydrated.

While guidelines such as the rule of “8 x 8” or drinking half of their body weight can offer a good starting point in ounces, the water that they actually need depends on various factors. “The” 8×8 “rule can be simplified a little for some, but it is not necessarily dangerous,” says Renee Fitton, registered nutritionist and director of education director at L-Nutra, a company for nutrition technology. Instead of relying on strict formulas, it is best to integrate your water absorption into small, daily habits. In order to pursue and achieve their hydration goals, we have built up some practical tips from an expert.

How much water should you drink every day?

According to Fitton, various factors play a role in how much water needs every day, including body size, medication, gender, physical activity, climate, state of health and height.

Most of us are also familiar with the old saying: drink eight glasses of water at 8 ounces every day. The eight eight rule leads us to drink 64 ounces (about 1.9 liters) water every day. Many of us blindly followed this advice for our entire life without knowing where he came from or why we need eight glasses of water.

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Apparently, the eight-time rule came from an emptiness because there is no scientific evidence to secure it. It is just another of these long -time myths who believe people because everyone believes it. Drinking 64 ounces of water every day is not bad, but for some people it could be too much or not enough.

“For some people, simple rules like this help them to stay on the right track. If the drinking of eight ounces glasses water a day helps someone to reach their hydration goals, then it is a good starting point. But I would not call it a gold standard,” says Fitton.

There are other guidelines, but there is still no real consensus. There is no formal recommendation on how much water should drink every day, maybe because everyone needs other water.

There is an “appropriate recording” of water for adult men and women, but it can vary from person to person. This appropriate intake includes water from non-water drinks such as MilkPresent Sports drinksTea and even coffee. It also contains water from fruit, vegetables and other foods (remember how much water goes into a bowl with oats or soup).

The appropriate intake is 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or 125 ounces) for average men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters or 91 ounces) for average women. How to consume these 125 or 91 ounces of liquid is with you. Although this is the nearest number that we have for a recommended daily admission, even these figures differ for each person due to their state of health.

You may need more water if …

You have an active job: Those who are traveling all day (especially people who work outdoors) may need more water than most people. The more you move, the more you sweat and you should replace lost water (and electrolytes) with fluid intake.

If you work outside during a heat wave, the US centers recommend 8 to 20 minutes for the control and prevention of diseases during work 8 ounces (1 cup) water. Drinking water both before and after work can help prevent dehydration.

You often train: If you don’t have an active job, but train a lot – be it in the gym or through leisure activities – you also need more water than most others. Even if you don’t notice it, you lose many liquids during physical activity (Even in cold weather). Browse through your water intake to take into account activities (in particular travel activity).

You live in a hot climate: Hot weather means an increased sweating and replacing the lost liquid is important. Dryness connections Loss of fluid in hot weather – people in desert climate may need more water than people in tropical climate zones.

You are pregnant or breastfeeding: Pregnant women need more water to promote an improved cycle, increased calorie intake and other physiological processes that support their baby’s growth. Breastfeeding women need additional water to support breast milk production.

Your pee is dark in Color: The color of your pee can tell you a lot about your fluid intake. “The color of your urine is the best and personalized, consistent and immediate way to measure the fluid intake during the day. We want to search for light yellow PEE, not fully (over -ok), but also not deep yellow or amber (underhydrated),” says Fitton.

You have a dry mouth, cracked lips or muscle cramps: Yes, if you are dehydrated, your body lets you know. “Water is such a critical substance for life. If we are missing, our body will no longer work in its top capacity, and this can exist in many ways and unique from one person,” explains Fitton.

Tips for moisture

Different people follow different rules for moisture. These four common guidelines can help you to remain hydrated regardless of your lifestyle.

Drink when you are thirsty: There are some controversy about this method. Some members of the health professions say they should not overcome the fluid intake and their body tells them when they need water. Others say to wait until they are thirsty, wait too long – that they are already dehydrated when they feel thirsty. Some people seem to have stronger thirst mechanisms than others, so this method may work for you or not.

Drink a glass in front of meals and between meals: This is not a bad advice. The structuring of water absorption by a ritual such as meals can include the liquid intake as a habit. Your entire water absorption depends on how many meals you eat. If you eat three meals, according to this rule, drink five glasses of water that may not be enough (unless it’s great glasses). This rule probably does not work for you if you don’t have a routine eating pattern.

Drink eight glasses every day: General health advice rarely works for everyone. If you feel sufficiently hydrated on 64 ounces of water every day. If you feel excessively hydrated (clear peeing, very common urination or swelling), cut back slightly. If you feel dehydrated (dark peeing, headache, rare urination, drowsiness or tiredness), eight glasses may not be sufficient.

Drink half of your body weight in ounces: This is a simple guideline that is easy to remember and is usually easy to reach. If you weigh £ 150, you want to drink 75 ounces of water every day. This is the only rule of thumb that takes into account different body sizes, but is not taken into account for thirst, climate, activity level or other factors.

Make water visible and accessible: Fitton explains that it is reminiscent of a visual memory of drinking water. She also recommends an app like water reduced cattle that send daily memories to drink water.

Combine your water absorption with your daily habits: Another good way to achieve your daily water absorption is to make drinking water part of your daily habits. This can look like drinking water as when you wake up, after eating or shortly before leaving the house. “These mini habits build on things that they are already doing so that they don’t think about doing something new. The more they bind moisture in their daily routine, the easier it becomes,” says Fitton.

Experiment with hydration techniques to find out what works for you. As long as you do not fight chronic tiredness, drowsiness, headache or other signs of dehydration, you probably do a pretty good job. As failure safety, you can always determine whether you are overheated due to the color of your urine.