Summer is here and once again it is time to address the topic of dehydration. Recent studies are telling us that we might not be as dehydrated as we thought we were. The sacred 8 glasses of water theory has been under considerable scrutiny lately. A lot of people took this new information to heart and were actually delighted because they really hated drinking water.
However, this news doesn’t let you off the hook, especially if you are active or if you take a dehydrating prescription drug. My cousin recently took a trip deep into South Dakota for a family reunion. She started to complain about feeling dizzy. She did admit that her fluid intake had been marginal during this period of time. Was the dizziness related to her dehydration? Perhaps. Signs of dehydration are very subtle and might include fatigue, muscle cramps, light headedness, clammy skin, nausea, loss of appetite and headaches. Her PA gave her a prescription for an anti-dizziness medication and told her to see her doctor if she didn’t feel better.
The functions that aid with hydration are less efficient when you get older. This means that you have fewer receptors in your brain to help you sense thirst, and your kidneys don’t filter waste and water as efficiently. Now that a bummer. Water makes up a large percentage of your body mass, and it plays an impressive role in keeping the body functioning well. Jane Oppermann (Daily Herald: Arlington Heights, Ill. April 7, 2003) explained that water carries oxygen and other nutrients to your cells, regulates body temperature, cushions joints and organs, absorbs nutrient, converts food into energy and flushes toxins and waste. Now if that doesn’t make you want to drink a glass of water I don’t know what will!
Unless you are someone who eats tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, and you know that most of us do not, it is still a good idea to aim for those 8 glasses of water a day. To meet your daily quota, drink fluids with meals and snacks and keep a water bottle handy for in between meal sips (gulps would be better). It doesn’t all have to be water. Milk, fruit and vegetable juices, herbal tea, tea, decaf coffee, soup, fruits and vegetables all contribute to your daily intake. Do not count consumption of caffeinated coffee or alcoholic beverages as they cause your kidneys to excrete fluids.
Adequate fluid intake needs to be a part of your daily health and well-being plan. Carry a bottle of water with you. Pack cool drinks for road trips. Drink by schedule not by thirst. During exercise, drink often. After exercise, replace fluids soon. If you are exercising, don’t rule out sports drinks as your fluids of choice. Sports drinks contain a small amount of sodium and carbohydrates. The sodium triggers thirst and the carbohydrates enhance performance by providing your muscles with fuel.
The simplest ways way to tell if you are getting enough fluids is to check the color and quantity of your urine. It should be a light color and plentiful. If it isn’t you should drink more. Leslie Beck (Toronto Star: Toronto, Ont. August 9, 2000) mentioned a fact that I wasn’t aware of… taking a multivitamin might make your urine a brighter yellow from the ingestion of one of the B vitamins.
Leave a Reply