If you're confused about how much water you really need, I'm not surprised. Conflicting advice in recent headlines appears to contradict the old "8-a-day" advice we all grew up with. Is it necessary to chug down eight glasses of water daily, or is this recommendation exaggerated and out of date?

We've heard for years that eight glasses of water daily is the minimum necessary to keep healthy. Your weight loss and health depend on it. Drink the minimum and see clearer skin, better sleep, better sex, improved vision. We're warned of impending¹ dehydration² without at least eight glasses. But, the tide has turned, away from liquid nutrition toward examining your daily diet, including what you eat, as well as what you drink.

The answer is... you need what you need! If it's summer, you need more. If you're exercising, you need more. If you're a "normal" sedentary person, who's not perspiring³, and not exercising more than 15-20 minutes daily, Dr. Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth Medical School says you need no more than four glasses of water daily. Most beverages⁴ can be counted as part of your daily fluid intake⁵. Although the World Health Organization recommends that everyone drink a minimum of two liters of water daily, or about eight cups, the old "8X8" rule is based on studies performed on people under extraordinary circumstances; including soldiers at high altitude and hospitalized patients -- what you and I need is different.