365 Ways #39–the 8 x 8 theory of hydration

#39–Do you need to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day to stay optimally hydrated? Well, that depends. How much do you weigh? The average person needs to drink approximately half their body weight in pounds in ounces of water each day to maintain an ideal state of hydration. So if you’re 128lbs, then the 8 x 8oz rule is more/less right on–assuming you’re not also drinking coffee, soda, tea, alcohol, or even juices. Doing so necessitates additional levels of hydration to process and assimilate these liquids in the body. If consumption doesn’t meet demand, you have a shortage in the body. This localized thirst often manifests as pain or dysfunctions such as high blood pressure or allergies. 75% of the body (like the earth, interestingly enough) is water. And every physiological process in the body requires adequate levels of water to be performed efficiently. So who came up with the 8 x 8 rule which most of us believe is gospel? Someone who weighed 128lbs, or, since the brain is 85% water, a heavier person who was severely dehydrated.