Drinking water is one of the most important things we can do for our body, because without it we would not be able to function fully. Water makes up about 50% to 70% of our body mass. It acts as a building block within the body, a solvent for chemical reactions and transport mechanism for nutrients and waste. Water maintains blood volume, circulation, regulates body temperature, and lubricates many of the joints and organs in the human body to move fluidly. The direct benefits of drinking enough water are improvement of physical performance, weight loss (from a regular intake of water), regular intake can boost your moods and brainpower, and prevent diseases. 

You expel water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowl movements, so it is very important to regulate water intake to ensure you are not dehydrated. The average male requires about 15.5 cups of fluids each day, compared to the average female requirement of 11.5 cups. Fortunately, around 20% of your daily water intake comes from the food and other drinks you ingest. To know if you are well hydrated, you will feel less thirsty and your urine is either colorless or light yellow.  

Your water intake is affected by many factors – exercise, health issues, environment. Some tips to decrease chances of dehydration is drink water with each meal or a low-calorie drink, drink water before and after exercising, and if you feel hungry try drinking water instead because thirst is often confused with hunger. One thing to be aware of is overindulgence of water, although this is very uncommon, ingesting too much water can cause issues with your kidney and possibly cause death. Athletes specifically are at risk of hyponatremia – diluted sodium content within the blood stream.