The thing about hydration...

The thing about hydration is that I don't really know how much water is enough.  

We've heard from childhood that every person should drink 8 glasses of water a day.  But is that really enough?  Or is it too much?  

I've found several resources that are debunking the classic command of drinking 8 - 8oz servings of water per day.  The May Clinic seems to think it's not enough.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

Many of the articles say you should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces.  For example: If you weight 160 pounds, you should be drinking 80oz of water daily.  Okay, but when I follow this rule I end up being thirsty all day.   

Lyn-Genet says add lemon juice to your water, and it will make it easier for your body to absorb the water.  She also says that you should drink all of your water before 7:30pm, so you don't gain excess water weight over night.  More about lemon and water, the alkaline duo here:  http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/lemon-water.html.  

However, there are other articles that say you need more than 8 - 8oz glasses of water per day and that I should be drinking water right before in order to avoid being dehydrated over night.  

The science nerd in me says, "Now, wait a minute."  I know that over-hydration can be just as bad as dehydration.  When you over-hydrate, the water depletes your body of essential vitamins and minerals.  Learn more about water intoxication here:  http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm. 

So where is the happy medium?  How much friggin' water am I supposed to drink?!