The adage has always been drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. And they have to be only water, as other beverages don't count.
Does this still hold true today?
According to the Mayo Clinic, not exactly. For some people, this is indeed the amount needed. But we now know that how much you need depends on factors like your health, age, where you live and how much you exercise. While a relatively sedentary person living in Williams Lake in good health may only need 8 glasses, a marathon runner living in Arizona will need more.
We also know that all beverages count toward your total intake- including coffee, fruit juice and even beer. Even coffee & alcohol (which can be diuretics) drunk in moderation help to hydrate you. It should also be noted that 20% of our fluid intake comes from the food we consume.
In other words, the amount of fluids each person will need per day is individually based. Most doctors agree that if you are not usually thirsty and your urine is pale yellow, then you are likely well-hydrated.
Bottled Water vs. Tap Water
When Evian became a household name in the 90s, no one could guessed the damage it would cause to our environment. Every hour 2.5 million plastic bottles are used in America. Sadly, an overwhelming amount of these bottles end up in our landfills. It is estimated anywhere between 40% and 80% and it takes 500 years for those bottles to decay.
Besides being detrimental to our environment, bottled water may also be hurting us in others way. Many water bottles contain BPA which is suspected of having carcinogenic effects. As well, in Canada, bottled water is not strictly regulated. While tap water is tested regularly to ensure it is safe, there is no such requirement for bottle water. Bottled water can come from anywhere and may contain toxins & bacteria, including arsenic. With no one checking it except the big companies who have a conflict of interest, how can we ever be sure it is safe?
In BC, we are lucky to have some of the cleanest tap water available. As well, some of has been voted the best tasting in the world; Clearbrook, BC won the competition in 2008. And now, with recent upgrades to the filtration system, Vancouver may have one of the purest tap waters in the world.
Don't Take Water for Granted
* A 5-min shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.
* The average toilet uses 8 litres of clean water in a single flush! Meanwhile, 1.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean water for drinking!
* Iceberg water is some of the purest in the world. It contains very few minerals as the freezing procedure prevents the crystals from forming. Antarctica contains 90% of the fresh water on the planet.
* A person can live one month without food, but only 1 week at most without water.
* Bottled water is 1000 times more expensive than tap water!
