Water: How much do women need?

Water. I love water. Who doesn't?

In the Quran, God says "We have made every living thing out of water." It's amazing that today's technology allows us to confirm, for the sake of non-believers, that this is in fact the truth.

I have so much passion for water in so many aspects.. From the water crisis throughout the world claiming 40,000 lives everyday; to the chemicals and companies wreaking havoc on our oceans, threatening all life as we know it..

Our cells need water to grow and regenerate keeping us young, vital, and healthy. An estimated 75% of Americans aren't getting enough water. So how much water do we really need?

Well, truth is, it depends on who you ask.. Growing up many children are programmed to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water per day. Or, at least that's what I've been told since my elementary school days. I rarely drink that now, and I certainly didn't back then. As a person who has always been rather small for my age, calculations have always been very appealing to me, not to mention I enjoy math. Does it not occur to parents and teachers when they are talking to 65 pound 7 year-olds about water that they have a tendency to tell kids how much they should be drinking, not the kids? Of course there should be many factors considered when determining your ideal daily intake of water: altitude, climate, activity level, and weather you are pregnant or breastfeeding each play an important part.

One easy calculation is that you should drink one ounce of fluid for every 2 pounds of your body. So if you weigh 120 pounds, you need roughly 60 oz of water. Pregnant women need about 16 additional ounces per day. Also for each half-hour of moderate exercise aim for an additional 4 oz.

Now, please don't get overwhelmed. Did you know that if you follow a well balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables you may be getting 20%-25% of your fluid needs from your diet alone? It's true. Also, it doesn't have to be water. You can get your fluids from juice, smoothies, broth, milk, the list is endless. Juice is a great option because you can add a lot of additional nutrition to your diet all while meeting your daily fluid intake.