How Much Water to Drink

by Candy


Question: I would like clarity on hydrotherapy. Am I supposed to take four glasses of water or one glass of water immediately after I wake up? How am I supposed to take the two liters of water?

Nancy's Response: Our bodies can only utilize about 12 to 16 ounces of water at one time. So I drink 16 oz. of water when I first wake up. About 30 minutes later, I will drink another 12 to 16 ounces of water before breakfast if I can. So ideally I like to drink about 1 liter of water before breakfast. That really sets my day right for optimal hydration.

If I do not have time to drink a full liter before breakfast, I will start drinking water again about one hour after breakfast. You want to wait at least 30 minutes after eating in order to give food time to digest without diluting digestive enzymes.

Then I try to drink the rest of my water quota throughout the day up until dinner time. I generally just sip water or herbal tea after dinner so that I am not waking up during the night to go to the bathroom.

So how much you drink each day really depends on your health condition, how well hydrated you are now, the type of water you drink (micro-clustered water is more hydrating than other types of water), and how much you weigh.

You might want to read my article on Drinking Enough Water or Drinking Enough Water Facts to determine if 2 liters per day is enough for you.

Thus, our general guidelines for how much water to drink and when are the following:


  • Drink about half your body weight in ounces of water each day.

  • Drink no more than 12 to 16 ounces at a time.

  • Drink one quart of water before breakfast if possible.

  • Drink 8 to 16 ounces of water 30 to 60 minutes before meals for optimal nutrient utilization.

  • Avoid drinking anything during meals or immediately following meals since fluids dilute the digestive juices. If you must drink fluids during meals, sipping water or warm tea is the best.

  • Wait at least 30 minutes and preferably 60 minutes after a meal before drinking water again.



Hope this helps!

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Visitor Comments

"This was the best and most straight forward info on the net yet. I asked a question and got an answer that made sense. Thank you so much!" - Linderlinder

FINALLY!!! I have been wondering about this for years with no 'solid' answer. This is exactly what I've been wanting to know! Thank you for this share..." by Andy

"Thank you for the information, Nancy. I appreciate it. Your article and findings are very helpful,  referring to dehydration." -  Carolyn

"Lemon water is one drink both my wife and I can't drink. It upsets our stomachs. We are in our sixties and in very good health—well, better health now that we drink about 2 liters plus of water each day. It has made so much difference to our digestive systems and recovery every day. Thank you for your website and effort." - Rod