I’ve been spending some time in AZ this summer and it’s critical for me to stay hydrated. I can tell when I’m not drinking enough water. My digestion is off, I experience a little brain fog, and my energy is low. Many people believe drinking anything liquid will contribute to their water intake. The truth is coffee, tea, fruit juices, and alcohol are all diuretics and actually deplete the body of water and interfere with calcium absorption. There’s a serious epidemic of osteoporosis in our society right now and plain old water would help immensely.
Why is water so important? It’s the most important nutrient in the body. We can go weeks without food, but only days without water. Water makes up 55-60% of our body mass. In an average adult that’s about 10-13 gallons of water!
The roles of water in the body are many, such as it transports nutrients, regulates body temperature, remove waste, flushes toxins, and helps with the body’s natural healing process.
I’m often asked about how much water should we drink? A good rule of thumb is the following:
Your current weight in pounds / 2 = Minimum number of ounces you should drink daily
Example: A person weighing 150 should drink at least 75 ounces of water each day. That’s only about 4.6 16-ounce glasses of water.
If you drink an 8-ounce diuretic beverage as I mentioned above, be sure to ADD an additional 12-16 ounces of water to your daily intake for every 8-ounces of a diuretic beverage. If you’re in a hot climate and you’re losing water from sweat, be sure to drink even more water.
Here are tips for getting more water into our bodies during the day.
- Make “spa” water in a large glass container with mint, cucumbers, lemon slices.
- Always have water with you when you leave home.
- If you’re headed to work, pack a few liter bottles of water with you.
- Treat yourself with mineral water like Pellegrino. Catch a case or two on sale at Costco.
- When looking for a snack, have a glass of water instead since thirst can mimic hunger.
On the other side of hydration is dehydration. If the body’s water content drops by as little as 2%, it will cause fatigue. I know when I’m in AZ and not well hydrated my energy drops like a brick. I know it’s been extremely hot this summer, so I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. A drop of 10% will cause significant health problems and greater than 10% dehydration can cause death. If you find yourself thirsty, find some water right away. Thirst is a sign of dehydration.
Lastly, when summer is over and it cools off, don’t neglect your water intake!
Leave a comment below about how you stay hydrated or shoot me an email Pat@PutOldOnHold.com
Until next month…
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