An ULTRA FIT AT COOP"S "Q & A" 

How much Water should we consume each day?

WATER#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated..
(Likely applies to half the world populatio

#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak
that it is mistaken for hunger.

#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism at least 3%.

#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs
for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of
water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain
for up to 80% of sufferers.

#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term
memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on
the computer screen or on a printed page.

#8.. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of
colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast
cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop
bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water
you should drink every day?

Why Drinking Water Will Help with Weight Loss & Greater Health.
Water is the most common compound on earth, the fluid which all life depends upon. Humans need to drink water! It's the one liquid Humans must have to live. An average person can go nearly two months without eating, but less than a week without water. Yet, important as water is, most of us know little about it, let alone how much water a human needs to consume?


The skinny on water:
Water helps to maintain healthy body weight by increasing metabolism and regulating appetite.
Water leads to increased energy levels. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration.
Drinking adequate amounts of water can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer.
For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain.
Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.
Water can prevent and alleviate headaches.
Water naturally moisturizes skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.
Water aids in the digestion process and prevents constipation.
Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.

Doing the Math
Every day a human loses water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For a human body to function properly, we must replenish our water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.

One popular method of calculating the necessary daily water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" - drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Though the approach isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this basic rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.

There are different ways to calculate human water needs. As a general recommendation you can simply follow the replacement rule based upon gender. Men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

In any event you should drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day.

Different Strokes
The amount of water a human needs can vary. Humans need to modify their total fluid intake depending on how active they are, the climate they live in, their health status, and if they are pregnant or breast-feeding.

Workouts
If humans exercise or engage in any activity that makes them sweat, they need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake.

How much additional fluid humans need depends on how much they sweat during exercise, how long they exercise and the type of activity they are engaged in. Additionally, humans need to continue to replace fluids after they are finished exercising

Pregnancy or breast-feeding
Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing.