We've all heard that the secret to feeling your best is to drink enough water. Water won't solve all of your problems on its own. But maintaining essential body processes like waste elimination, joint lubrication, and temperature regulation requires drinking enough water. In addition, issues like weariness, lightheadedness, and dry skin can result from dehydration.  According to research, routinely consuming the necessary amount of water can also have additional advantages, such as boosting mood and attention, reducing headaches, promoting healthier aging, helping with weight management, and improving athletic performance.  But would an additional 20 to 30 ounces per day make a difference for someone who currently drinks a fair amount of water?

What is the recommended daily intake of water? 

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Among other things, your age, the environment where you live, and the amount of physical activity you engage in all affect how much water you require. For women, the recommended daily fluid intake is typically between 2 and 2.7 liters (L), or 68-91 ounces (oz), while for males, it is between 2.5 and 3.7 L, or 85-125 oz.8. That equates to more than 11 cups of water for women and more than 15 cups for men at the upper ranges. However, the typical adult only drinks roughly 44 ounces (1.3 L) of water per day. It's roughly 5.5 cups.  Drinking water and other liquids accounts for the majority of your daily water consumption.

How to Recognize the Signs of Dehydration When You're Dehydrated ~

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Your body may become dehydrated if you don't drink enough water, which means it won't have the fluids it needs to function correctly. Mild to severe dehydration symptoms are possible. Headaches, weariness, dry mouth, and thirst are common, milder signs of dehydration. Additionally, you may have darker, yellow urine and urinate less frequently. Dizziness, dry skin, weakness or cramping in the muscles, and difficulty focusing are examples of moderate symptoms.  Dehydration can cause more serious symptoms like sunken eyes, fast breathing, a fast heartbeat, and confusion. You might possibly completely cease urinating. Severe dehydration symptoms should be treated right away because they might cause shock and, in certain situations, unconsciousness.

As the old saying goes, "Water, water everywhere," so too are the fallacies surrounding drinking water. Most of these are simply culturally accepted beliefs, but some are hype from marketers or overzealous trainers. In addition to helping you stay properly hydrated, knowing the truth may help you avoid stress or waste money.

The following list of common drinking water myths is followed by the stark realities: 

01. Myth: Your appetite will decrease if you drink a lot of water. 

Fact: Drinking a lot of water only helps you lose weight because it keeps your mouth too busy to eat.

02. Myth: You may mistakenly believe you are hungry when you are actually thirsty.

Fact: When you believe you are hungry, you are most likely actually hungry. 

Substantiation ~Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., a nutrition expert at Penn State, told Health.com that although boredom, habit, or stress may cause you to eat when you're not hungry, your body is unlikely to confuse hunger with thirst. The feelings aren't even comparable. "They feel different and are regulated by separate mechanisms in your body," Rolls stated. Cell and blood volumes decrease when you are dehydrated, which results in an unpleasant dry, sticky mouth. There is minimal possibility that you will confuse that for hunger, which is indicated by a rumbling stomach and a feeling of emptiness and is triggered by gut hormones, nutrients, and glucose.

03. Myth: It's easy to drink too much water.

 Fact: Excessive water intake is uncommon.

Substantiation ~ According to Nicole G. Morgan, a registered dietitian and nutritionist who works in Atlanta, people frequently worry about the dangers of consuming excessive amounts of water, but that is not a major problem. 
According to her, overhydrating is far more challenging than most people realize. "You would have to consume your full water requirement for the day in a short time frame for it to become dangerous." Morgan suggested spacing out an increase in water intake throughout a day to avoid even this little risk of consuming too much water. "That approach to hydration is generally regarded as safe and healthy," she stated.

04. Myth: Eight 8-ounce glasses of water are necessary for everyone each day. 

Fact: There is no set amount of water that you must drink in order to keep hydrated. 

Substantiation~ According to a recent article on "How to Stay Hydrated," food and nutrition experts at Consumer Reports on Health say that this is one of the most common misconceptions regarding drinking water, but upon deeper inspection, it isn't true. They pointed out that the right amount of water to drink each day can differ "a good bit" depending on the individual. People who are taller, heavier, or more active generally need to consume more water to make up for their losses. A person's need for water intake may also rise under hot or muggy conditions.

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  01. Drink before you get thirsty. 
  02. Drink a little water throughout the day rather than worrying about finishing a glass at once. 
  03. In order to stay hydrated when you're thirsty, keep a water bottle with you. 
  04. Keep in mind that, with the exception of those that include alcohol, all beverages contribute to hydration.

"Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load and improve the function of all your tissues." ~ Kevin R. Stone