With a heat wave gripping much of the country, many people are guzzling more water than usual to try to stay cool and hydrated. The convention wisdom says we should be downing eight glasses of water a day. But that number isn't based on any scientific studies, and doctors say it's not necessarily the best advice. 
 
 A new article published in the Harvard Health Letter recommends drinking 30 to 50 ounces a day, an amount equal to about four to six glasses of water. 
 
 Drinking enough water is important to carry nutrients to your cells, flush bacteria from your system and prevent dehydration, especially during hot summer months when we lose more fluids through sweat. People who are getting a lot of exercise, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, may need more. 
 
 And while plain water is a healthy choice that won't add extra sugar and calories to your diet, other fluids can be part of the mix. "It's really about fluids in general. Doesn't necessarily have to be water," Dr. Sharmeela Saha, director of the dialysis center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, told CBS News. 
 
 What you eat can make a difference too. Certain foods, including summer favorites like watermelon and other fruits, can count towards your daily water intake. 
 
 "Lettuce, spinach, fruits in general, soups ... those are all things that going to have a lot of water in them as well," Saha said. 
 
 Experts say don't ignore your thirst -- it's a sign your body needs more water. According to WebMD, other signs of dehydration may include weakness, dizziness, heart palpitations, sluggishness, fainting, or heart palpitations. Urine color may also indicate dehydration; if urine is dark yellow or amber colored, you're probably not drinking enough fluids. 
 
 In addition to keeping you well hydrated, some research has shown drinking water right before a meal may benefit your diet, taking the edge off hunger to help help you lose weight. ||||| What can we help you find? Enter search terms and tap the Search button. Both articles and products will be searched. 
 
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 Activate My Account ||||| Didn't eat enough fruits and vegetables today? Join the club — 87 percent of Americans don't meet recommendations for fruit consumption, and 91 percent don't meet recommendations for vegetable consumption, according to a new U.S. report. 
 
 Researchers analyzed a 2013 survey of more than 373,000 American adults in all 50 states who answered questions about how much fruit and vegetables they eat. U.S. federal dietary guidelines recommend that people eat between 1.5 and 2 cups of fruit per day, and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day. 
 
 Overall, just 13 percent of people consumed enough fruit to meet the guidelines, and 9 percent ate enough vegetables, according to the report released today (July 9) from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Map: Fruit & Vegetable Intake in All 50 States] 
 
 A majority of the U.S. population isn't eating the federally recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist 
 
 When the researchers looked at fruit and vegetable consumption in each state, California did the best, but still only 18 percent of that state's residents ate enough fruit to meet the recommendation, and 13 percent ate enough vegetables, according to the report. 
 
 The worst state for fruit consumption was Tennessee, where just 7.5 percent of people ate enough fruit, and the worst state for vegetable consumption was Mississippi, where 5.5 percent consumed the recommended amount of vegetables, the researchers found. 
 
 "In 2013, most adults consumed too few fruits and vegetables," the researchers wrote in their report. "Because fruit and vegetable consumption affects multiple health outcomes and is currently low across all states, continued efforts are needed to increase demand and consumption." 
 
 To improve fruit and vegetable intake in adults, public health efforts might start with children, who also don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. "Better dietary practices earlier in life might lead to better practices later in life," the researchers said. Schools could help with this effort by meeting or exceeding federal nutrition standards for their meals, and making fruit and vegetables more appealing to kids. 
 
 In addition, making fruits and vegetables available at work gatherings, such as meetings and conferences, might also improve intake. 
 
 "Increased attention to food environments in multiple settings, including child care, schools, communities and worksites, might help improve fruit and vegetable intake, and thus help prevent chronic disease," the researchers said. 
 
 The study will be published in the July 10 issue of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 
 
 Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
– We've all heard we should drink eight glasses of water a day. But the advice isn't based on scientific evidence, and for some people it may be flat out wrong, report researchers in Harvard Health Letter. They conclude that 30 to 50 ounces of fluid intake a day is ideal, and that works out to more like four to six (8-ounce) glasses a day. Note the word "fluid:" It doesn't have to be water to hydrate, reports CBS News. "It's really about fluids in general," one doctor in Cleveland says. "Doesn't necessarily have to be water. Lettuce, spinach, fruits in general, soups ... those are all things that are going to have a lot of water in them as well." (Of course, Americans may not be getting a ton of help from fruits and vegetables: Per a new CDC report, just 13% of adults eat the daily recommended amount of fruit; for vegetables, just 9% of adults, LiveScience reports.) The piece in Harvard Health Letter also specifies that the water shouldn't be consumed all at once. "It’s important to stay hydrated gradually, throughout the day." To do that, it recommends taking fluids "at meals, with medicine, and socially." The Mayo Clinic suggests that while eight glasses is something of a myth, it lines up pretty well with recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, which suggest 3 liters of beverages a day for men and 2.2 for women, where all beverages count toward one's fluid intake. Also important, especially if you're in the middle of a heat wave? Paying attention to signs of dehydration, which include dizziness, weakness, heart palpitations, and dark urine. (No one knows where the eight-glass water myth comes from, but it's not the only one floating around.)