There has been much debate about how much water a person should drink.

While drinking too much water can be unhealthy, it is even more dangerous not to drink enough water.

The Institute of Medicine reports that men need about 3.7 liters of water each day and women need 2.7 liters of water every day. A good rule of thumb would be to drink at least two liters of water in a 24-hour period.

While the average American consumes about two liters of water per day, not all of this is directly from pure water. In fact, only about 25% of this is from drinking water, the rest comes from food, sodas, tea and coffee that contain harmful ingredients such as sugar, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and toxins.

While technically speaking, this is still water, you should strive to drink at least two liters of pure undiluted water every day. Sodas, energy drinks, coffee, tea and water containing foods contain calories and this could lead to unnecessary weight gain and harm your health.

The dangers of dehydration are severe and recent research has revealed that even drinking slightly too little water can cause your mood to change

It can also have a negative impact on your energy levels. A study group of 26 men and 25 women was used, and all of them exercised for at least half to one hour each day. The subjects were then tested for memory, reasoning, learning, reaction time and concentration.

Younger women became fatigued, developed headaches and struggled to concentrate when they became dehydrated. The men became anxious and fatigued when they were deprived of water. It was interesting to note that the women became more moody than men when they were dehydrated. The research also revealed that the subjects were already slightly dehydrated before they became thirsty.

If you start to feel tired or moody, it could be a sign that you need to drink more water

It is a good idea to track your water consumption for a week or so. Once you have developed the habit of drinking at least two liters of water every day, you should notice that you can deal with life much better. Try to space your water consumption evenly throughout the day.

To avoid dehydration, you need to drink more pure water

At times, your body will require more hydration. You will need to drink an amount of water which is generally based on a percentage of your body weight. These times include:

• during exercise
• during heat waves
• during pregnancy
• for weight loss
• during illnesses when you have fever

Tips to help you drink more water

Most of us don’t like to drink water.

It may be an idea to consume some “water substitutes” that enhance your health at the same time.

• Green tea is a great natural anti-oxidant and taken on its own, it is calorie free.
• Herbal Aloe Concentrate helps to hydrate your body and cleanse your digestive system.

How do you encourage yourself to drink more water?

Also watch what Dr. Luigi says about water consumption and  follow his tips for drinking more.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYqflOOSJb8