There is no standard recommendation for how much water to drink daily. We all require different amounts of water, depending on several factors. Our daily activity, humidity, age, weight, sun exposure, current health conditions and water quality all are important factors in our daily water requirements.

One long-standing recommendation is that we drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Another recommendation is one half-ounce of water for each pound of body weight.

Various studies have shown that most older adults do not drink enough water each day. Some great tips to insure you are getting enough water daily are: drink a glass of water with each meal; always drink extra water when exercising; eat more soups, smoothies, or stews; eat plenty of fruits and vegetables with high water content (grapes, melons, cucumbers, celery, berries, grapes, and lettuce); and drink extra water when the weather is hot and humid.

Several studies support the theory that drinking more water is highly beneficial for weight loss. Good hydration is key for better digestion and muscle function, which will aid key factors for weight loss. Some of the key reasons increasing drinking water intake can help in weight loss are:

• Drinking water helps to remove waste from the body. When your body is dehydrated it cannot remove waste as urine. Water helps kidneys filter toxins and retain essential nutrients and electrolytes.

• Drinking water can reduce liquid calorie intake. Replacing soda, juice, alcoholic beverages, sports drinks or sweet tea with water is a huge benefit in reducing calorie intake.

• Water helps with workouts. Drinking water helps muscles and joints to move correctly. It helps the lungs, heart and other organs to work more effectively as your activity increases to reduce the risk of dehydration. Always drink water before, during and after exercise to avoid getting dehydrated.

• Water naturally suppresses appetite. When our stomachs are full, it lets our brain know to stop eating. Water can take up space in the stomach to reduce hunger. Many nutritionists recommend drinking an eight-ounce glass of water before each meal.

• Water is necessary to burn fat. Without water we cannot properly metabolize stored fat and carbohydrates. Drinking enough water daily is essential for burning off fat from food and stored fat as well.

Water is the best choice to maintain hydration. Be sure to drink before, during and after activity. Even when you aren’t thirsty, keep drinking water. Avoid soda, fruit juices, flavored waters and any drinks that contain high concentrations of sugar to aid in weight loss.

Clean, healthy, filtered water is the best water to stay hydrated. Faucet mount filters and pitcher filtered water are a much better option than chlorinated tap water, but reverse osmosis water is the best filtered water you can put in your body to stay hydrated.

For more information on how you can safeguard your home’s water supply, visit the Water Quality Association at wqa.org, or call a local water treatment professional.

Chris Lane is the owner of Culligan Water Conditioning of the Lowcountry, serving Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties. culliganhhi.com