You are dehydrated.

Well, maybe not everyone, but the vast majority of you are.  I know this because all I drink every day is water and I "attempt" to get the recommended 64 ounces of water a day and it wasn't until recently that I actually kept track through a typical day and I was lucky if I consumed half of that.

Here's the problem with this:

The body, on a typical day losses 10 cups of water through urine, sweat and breathing.  If you are very active or the weather is scorching, you will lose even more water throughout the day (aim for an additional 20 ounces of water on those days).

Just by eating, you will regain 2 cups of water from food.  This leaves another 8 cups to make up for and this is why the daily recommendation is to drink 64 ounces or 8 cups of water every day.

Lets put this into perspective:

Photo Courtesy: How Stuff Works

"Up to 60% of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70% water, and the lungs are nearly 90% water. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight, as is the brain; body fat contains 10% water and bone has 22% water." Source: USGS, "The Water in You"

I don't know about you, but I don't feel like short changing any of those areas and we don't get to decide where the water goes.

So how do you ensure you replenish?

Dedicate a water pitcher to your daily intake (don't share) - either one that can hold 64 ounces of water or half that and refill (anything beyond two refills and you are likely to lose count) and use it to fill a water bottle that you carry with you.  I like to use re-purposed Snapple bottles (I prefer glass over plastic) which are 16 ounces each - once I have had four of those I know that I have hit my quota for the day and anything beyond that is a bonus.

Bottoms Up!
The Hoff