How much water should I drink? Let’s calculate it! Come on, this will be fun! Grab a calculator and a pencil and let’s get started!
You are about 75% Water
A) How much do you weigh (in pounds) _____
B) Since you are approximately 75% water (varies a bit), multiply that number by 0.75. What did you get? _____ That is how many pounds of you is water.
C) Take that number and divide it by 8.3 (the number of pounds in a gallon of water). What did you get? _____ That’s how many gallons of water are in your body.
D) Multiply that number by 128 (ounces in a gallon). What did you get? _____ That’s how many ounces of water are in your body.
E) Now, how many ounces of WATER do you drink in an average day? _____
F) Take the number you got in “D” and divide it by the number you wrote in “E”. What did you get? _____ That’s the number of days it takes for every cell in your body to get a bath. The ideal number here should be less than 24 days.
G) How much do you weigh (in pounds, again)? _____
H) Divide that number by 2. What do you get? _____ That is the number of ounces of water that you should drink (minimum) each day.
I) There are 128 ounces in a gallon. If you divide that number (in “H”) by 128, it will tell you what percentage of a gallon of water you need (see example below).
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Water Math is Important!
Let’s run through an example of a 170 lbs. person.
A) 170 lbs.
B) 170 lbs. x 0.75 = 127.5 lbs. of water in their body
C) 127.5 lbs. divided by 8.3 = 15.4 gallons of water in their body
D) 15.4 x 128 = 1971.2 ounces of water in their body
E) They drink 2 average water bottles per day (16.9 oz each) = 33.8 ounces per day
F) 1971.2 divided by 33.8 = 58.3 days
G) 170 lbs.
H) 170 lbs. divided by 2 = 85 ounces per day
I) 85 divided by 128 = 0.66 gallons of water per day (just over 5 average water bottles)
Fresh, clean water is the absolutely most important thing you put into your body on a daily basis. You are mostly water – not mostly milk, not mostly coke, not mostly coffee. Your body requires water for countless biochemical reactions. You need it to transport water-soluble vitamins to your cells and to take toxins away. It is the nutrient you will die quickest without. If there is only one single thing that you do to improve your health, it should be to drink enough water! Only water counts – if you add chemical flavoring to it, you have just added more toxins. Use fresh sliced citrus slices, cucumber, watermelon, pineapple, or essential oils* to naturally flavor your water.
*Note: pure essential oils will breakdown plastic so you should use a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic/porcelain drinking vessel if you are adding essential oils to your water.
Caffeinated beverages count as ANTI-WATER because they actually dehydrate you. So, if you’re drinking coffee, tea, or (please no!) “energy drinks”, you need to add more water to your daily intake requirement. I use the rule of thumb that for every ounce of coffee (for example) you need two ounces of water jut to neutralize it. That doesn’t count toward your daily intake.
Important! Clear urine is a sign of adequate hydration. Other benefits include clearer thinking, more energy, and better sleep. How did you do on the water math quiz? Are you hydrated?