Are You Drinking Enough Water?

What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?

Everyone has heard the advice, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s about 1.9 liters, which isn’t that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the “8 by 8″ rule isn’t supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it’s easy to remember.

About.com has a great tool on their nutrition link called a Hydration Calculator.  I completed the quiz attached to the link, and according to their calculator, I should be drinking 2.4 Liters (81.5 ounces) of water every day, which is just slightly higher than the recommended  ”8 by 8″ rule.

2+ liters of water can taste boring sometimes, and a great supplement to your water intake is coconut water.  It tastes great, is nutritionally satisfying, and very refreshing.  Vita Coco is a popular brand in my household.  Coconut water is also a great sports hydrator, and much better for you than artificially sweetened sports drinks.   Vita Coco is loaded with potassium, and is as natural as natural gets.  I always have a coconut water handy during and after my hot yoga practice, and keep bottles handy in my office and kitchen.  Like the Vita Coco folks say…”Life is hectic enough, and you should be hydrated while you live it. Go ahead, get hydrated and remember that life is a sport.”A great way to get your family to drink more water is to replace their sports drinks (or God forbid sodas!) with Vita Coco or other naturally flavored water beverages.  Just be sure to check the labels to make sure that any flavoring comes from natural and not artificial sweeteners.

Try drinking the recommended amount of water for your body size and lifestyle, and see how great you can feel.  Chances are you’ll have more energy, feel more alert and your skin will look radiant!