Water Water Everywhere

Did you know that over 3/4 of your body is water?  We often hear about dehydration discussed in the summer.  Kids passing out on the football field, etc.
But people need to drink water all year round.  Have you ever heard of someone getting sick and then going to the hospital because they are dehydrated?

Drinking plenty of water is a good habit all year round.   The average person needs roughly 8 cups of water per day.  When I say water, I mean the clear stuff.  Coffee, soda, tea, etc. do not count as water .  Actually, for each of these you have per day, you need to increase your water consumption.  You may be thinking: What?  Yes! For each cup of coffee you drink, you need to add an extra cup of water.

Now, hopefully I have gotten you thinking of the other things you drink instead of water.  Sports drinks are a great idea when participating in sport activities.  They do rebalance electrolytes that are lost.  They are also a great idea to keep you hydrated when sick.  But be careful: they are full of sugar.  If you are losing less than 2% of your body weight to sweat during an activity, just stick to water.

Vitamin water is water right?  Again, no.  When we say water, we mean the clear stuff.  Many vitamin waters have sugar, and the vitamins they contain are the ones you are getting in your diet any way.

Now, in theory, drinking nothing but clear filtered water is the healthiest choice.  Adding a lemon, lime, or orange slice can add some flavor.  When you do decide to add another type of drink, remember they should not be replacing your water intake.

There are many reasons to drink water.  When you are dehydrated, your skin and nails can suffer and skin can appear more dry and wrinkled.  Drinking water helps control calories; sometimes the body feels hungry when you are really thirsty.  Water helps cells maintain proper balance of fluid; for example, dehydrated muscle cells do not function properly.  Water helps kidneys to rid the body of toxins; proper hydration helps kidneys stay healthy and keeps the body functioning properly.

In short,  choose the clear stuff!