Guide For Good Health of S.W of PA Everyone tells us to drink water, from exercise instructors to Dr. Oz. But I have found that no one is telling us WHY! I started researching in depth the relationship between water and the lack of energy and pain. Mayo Clinic states an adult loses about 6.3 cups of urine a day. You will lose an additional 1.5 Litres (4 cups )of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so you will need to consume 2 Litres of water ( a little more than 8 cups) to replace the fluids lost. Do not rely on the feeling of thirst as a guide for when to drink, by the time you feel thirsty , you may already be slightly dehydrated. Further, as you get older the body is less able to sense dehydration to send the brain signals of thirst. What is the best way to manage this ‘drought condition? A good start is to manage your intake of water-depleting drinks such as coffee, beer or beverages containing sugar. Once you drink one can of soft drink, you feel like you still need more, the body trapped in a never-ending cycle of craving hydration that simply cannot be met by consuming soft drinks. Soft drinks, coffee, and tea, while made up almost entirely of water, also contain caffeine. Caffeine found in soft drinks, coffee, and tea can act as a diuretic telling body to eliminate water thus preventing water from traveling to necessary locations in the body.