Originally Published June 2, 2003 -- Your Wellness
Guide
Easy Ways to Stay Hydrated
Terra presented this column's information
as a Consumer Wellness Expert on
ABC's KNXV-TV "Sonoran Living" on June 9, 2003; and on
KTVK-TV's "Good Morning
Arizona" on July 18, 2003 teaching viewers to be smart wellness
consumers.
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On the back of
summer temperatures rides the need to quench our thirst.
How much water
should we drink, why, and what are simple ways to stay hydrated?
I spoke with
Licensed Brain Gym Instructor Cristina Whitehawk who told me that Because
the body is predominately water, when we become dehydrated the
systems of the body cannot operate effectively. The brain gets
first dibs on the water you drink. When youre not hydrated you get
sluggish and you cant think effectively. |
She said
that if you want to reduce your stress or even break a stress cycle, drink
more water throughout the day and take a moment to relax.
The
American Dietetic Association says the average person needs about eight to
12 cups of water each day, increasing for more activity or high
temperatures.
Dr.
Mara Vitolins, a
Wake Forest
University Baptist Medical Center nutritionist, says the way to calculate
how much water you need is to take your weight in pounds and divide by
two.
The
result is the number of ounces of water you should drink a
day. So, a 100-pound woman needs to drink 50 ounces of water each day --
just a little more than four 12-ounce glasses, or three bottles of water
(which usually are 500 milliliters or 16.9 ounces.) A 175-pound man would
need five bottles of water.
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What about sports
drinks?
Athletic Trainer
Robert Stelma for the Geisinger-Wyoming Valley Human Motion
Institute in Pennsylvania says The purpose of sports drinks is to
keep your body hydrated and to replace fluids that you lose during
exercise.
Robert says the
best source for fluid replacement is water. However, he says
during exercise, water may not be enough, which is when you might
consider a sports drink.
The optimal sports
drink should contain no more than eight percent carbohydrates, says
Robert. Avoid sports drinks that are carbonated, contain
caffeine or herbal remedies, and are high in sugar (greater than
eight percent).
Here are some
additional hydration tips and info: |
Photo: Gatorade
Low-sugar sports drinks are useful in keeping
hydrated during high activity, such as working
out at the gym or on a hike. |
Signs of
Dehydration:
Signs include fatigue, dizziness, weakness, stomach cramps, or nausea.
Thirst means dehydration has begun.
Hydrate When
Swimming:
You might think youre cooling off, but you still perspire at the pool and
need to regularly rehydrate. Take a water break every 30 minutes.
Avoid Dehydrating Drinks:
These include coffee, tea, carbonated soda with caffeine, beer, wine and
other alcoholic drinks. Guarana is caffeines twin and has a similar
effect as caffeine.
Drink Throughout the Day:
Take small sips of water throughout the day, instead of drinking several
glasses at once. Carry a water bottle or glass with you. Have
water at your desk and in the car.
Try Water Packs:
If you are doing outside chores or outdoor exercise, try a water pack.
It stores water with a sipping mechanism that makes it easy to stay
hydrated. Look at the ingenious products at
www.camelbak.com
Try New Enhanced or Flavored-Water Drinks:
These new drinks increase hydration and have less sugar and, instead, add
vitamins and minerals or a low-to-no-calorie flavor, such as Pulse (www.pulsenutrition.com),
Fruit2O (www.veryfine.com),
or Propel (www.propelwater.com).
Theres also a new water product called Penta (www.hydrateforlife.com)
which is restructured water (molecularly) so that it hydrates better and
goes into the cell more rapidly.
Make
Your Own Sports Drink:
You can also make your own sports drink at home, which would replenish and
refuel with electrolytes and carbohydrates. Try these Simply
Sensational Sports Drink recipes from Jyl Steinback (americashealthiestmom.com),
author of
Cook Once Eat For A Week:
