Water...

It is possible to drink too much water and push your bodies electrolytes out of balance dangerously (a condition called water intoxication). But the conditions under which this sort of thing happens are quite rare and you really have to work at it, like chugging a couple of litres in the space of a few minutes while sweating in a sauna for example.

I think the current FDA/USDA recommended amounts are between 9 and 13 cups a day... double check though before taking my word for it though.

This was on the tv today

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/life-video/video-how-much-water-you-really-need-to-drink-a-day/article2320957/

I follow the rule of 8 cups of water, plus 1 oz for every minute of exerise. ( 64 oz of water, plus 60 oz if exercised for 1 hour= 124 oz water) It seems like a lot, but I drink 30 - 40 oz water while exercising.

As my running coach advised, divide your bodyweight in half...whatever the number is the amount - in ounces - that you should be drinking per day. So if you are 160lbs you should be drinking 80 ounces which equals 10 cups per day.
As well, for every cup of coffee, tea, or pop you should be drinking two additional glasses of water as they are diuretics.

As said in the video, there is no one rule fits all, and she even confirms what ive been saying about caffienated drinks still counting. What you say there is an old myth that simply is not true.

As for tea/coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
adj.
Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
n.
A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/do-caffeinated-beverages-cause-dehydration.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5552790&page=1#.TrQWc0O5_oo