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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Drink Up, it’s Hot Outside with Water, that is! Well, we’re in a record breaking heat wave here in the Northeast, and “Water”, which is a nutrient, is vital to our health, to our exercise tolerance, and to every body function especially during the summer. Drinking enough water is even more important during hot humid weather such as we’re having now (if you’re somewhere cooler, you’re lucky!) so, here’s my yearly summer reminder for us to drink up!
Drink up because we’ve been told over and over, how we need a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day (I prefer water bottles myself). This of course is an estimate and not all our fluid needs are met through water. In addition, some of us have higher fluid needs than others just based upon our body type. For instance, the taller we are, or the more we weigh, the more fluids we need than our shorter, thinner friends. Men, in general need more water than women, pound for pound as well. So, let’s take a look at how much we might really need above the basic 8 cups, which accounts for all metabolic functions in our body at light activity levels. Keep in mind that in order for our body to keep its core temperature down, we need extra water to produce sweat, part of the body’s cooling system!
Let’s start with our 8 glasses assuming we really are drinking 8 glasses to start with; we might add the below amounts if we:
Drink coffee? Add 1/2 -1 cup of water for every cup of coffee (current research suggests that our body does adapt to caffeine and will not cause dehydration with regular consumption for many of us, however for our purposes, let’s still add some water back this since the research is not conclusive).
Drink tea other than herbal? Add 1/2 cup of water for every cup of tea. Keep in mind that a healthy tea such as Green tea, must be listed as herbal or it will still have caffeine.
Drink soda with caffeine (this includes both diet and regular)? Add a 1/2 cup of water every 10-12 ounces of soda.
Drank alcohol last night? Yep, add another cup of water for every drink of hard liquor. The kidneys must flush out the alcohol’s toxins, so extra water is vital!
Exercised for one hour today? Add at least 2 cups of water for even moderate/light exercise for every hour. Keep in mind we will need more water if we exercise longer or more intensely, and/or if we sweat heavily. More water is required for outdoor exercise or exercise that is prolonged (hiking, or endurance events for example!). A quart of cool water can leave an empty stomach per hour absorbed into the blood, so time it with 8 ounces every 15 minutes for high intensity exercise such as running.
Eight glasses of water per day is the general recommendation in addition to our other sources of fluids. Might we really need even more? Drink more water if any of the below apply! Do we
Eat very few fresh fruits and raw veggies? The 8 glasses is the general guideline if we’re taking in foods with medium to high water content and if we are taking in other fluids such as milk, juice, soups etc.
Follow a high protein diet with little or no carbs? If yes, think extra water here too, since our kidneys need to work a bit harder using extra water to flush out the un-usable molecules that are coupled with protein.
Watch our Weight? Studies indicate that drinking more water helps us to maintain our weight possibly by filling us up (without permanently filling us out I’d like to add!).
Take medications? Our kidneys filter and flush out the metabolic products of medications so guess what, our kidneys will function better with extra water. Some medications may require more water than usual, so let’s check with our doctor.
Have cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, etc.) Then drinking extra water is especially important. Have we eaten a high fat meal? Extra water will keep the blood flowing easier (reduces viscosity or blood thickness) for those of us at risk.
Have extra fluid needs such as pregnancy or are we a new mom breastfeeding? Extra water is needed for the extra blood volume that accompanies pregnancy, and for the high fluid content of breast milk.
These are just a few of the reasons we may need extra water, especially now during a hot summer day. I do recommend adding more water slowly so the habit has a chance to take hold. I like to keep a pint size water bottle at my desk, sip and refill; this way I can keep track!
So, did we have 3 cups of coffee today, exercise for an hour and have a few summer drinks last night? How many cups of water did we have, and how many additional cups of water do we need?
Here’s to keeping drinking more water, it’s the best survival tool around especially when it’s hot outside!
June M. Lay M.S.
JuneFit Please seek the advise of your Doctor, for any medical concerns. Sources used: Water, An Essential But Overlooked Nutrient
J Am Diet Assoc. 1999;99:200-206.
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