Water, water everywhere……
Water is the primary chemical in our bodies and
comprises 60% of a person’s body weight. Think we should all be
sloshing around?! Far from it: this water is in our actual body
cells and blood system, fulfilling such important functions as carrying oxygen
and nutrients to cells, lubricating our joints, regulating our temperature,
flushing away toxins, getting rid of waste products, and moistening our eyes,
nose, mouth, digestive system, respiratory system – in
fact, every organ in the body depends on proper hydration to function at its
most efficient level.
People who do not get enough fluid may feel
tired and thirsty and may suffer from joint and muscle stiffness, constipation,
dry eyes, dizziness, dry and itchy skin, and so on. In addition to
the possibly inadequate intake, the body loses water, about 2.4 liters per day,
through such normal body processes as breathing, perspiring, and releasing
waste products. The loss is even greater when exercising, during
exposure to hot weather, and in the case of illnesses accompanied by vomiting
and diarrhea.
How do we ensure that we have a proper level of
hydration? Fluid/liquid intake alone is not the only way we replace
our body water; fruits and vegetables provide about 20% of the daily water
intake for those persons who follow the myplate.gov guidelines and get the
recommended amount of servings of both. For example, tomatoes and
watermelon are both about 90% water by weight - tell this to Bob the Tomato! When deciding on beverages, one must
consider such things as calorie needs and restrictions, sugar level of the
beverage under consideration, caffeine, sweeteners and other additives,
etc. It is much healthier to have a pitcher of water in the refrigerator
for the kids rather than a supply of “juice” boxes!
So: how much total fluid intake from all
sources do we need every day? The Institute of
Medicine has determined that an adequate intake for most men is about 13 cups
of total fluids per day, and for women, about 9 cups per day. The Mayo Clinic
has validated this recommendation; read more at http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
The popular recommendation to “drink eight 8-oz
glasses of water every day” is under the IOM levels, especially for men, but it
is easy to remember and can be restated as “drink AT LEAST eight 8-oz beverages
per day.” The remainder of the recommended total can come from the water in
foods. And somewhat counter to this recommendation of tallying up
cups of water, some experts are saying that a healthy adult with an adequate
diet will be well hydrated by drinking according to thirst; evidence of
adequate hydration will include the observation that urine is pale and not
scanty. If you, however, are looking to increase your intake for any
of a variety of reasons, such as assisting with weight loss, here are some
ideas to help get that total in:
drink
one glass of water while brushing your teeth in the morning
drink another beverage with breakfast
drink another prior to leaving the house for work or school
drink a beverage during travel time, both to and fro (coffee counts, too!)
drink a beverage with lunch and dinner
drink a beverage with afternoon snack
drink another beverage with breakfast
drink another prior to leaving the house for work or school
drink a beverage during travel time, both to and fro (coffee counts, too!)
drink a beverage with lunch and dinner
drink a beverage with afternoon snack
And there you are, the
basic “eight/eight”!
Donna Swope
“I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a
cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose
his reward.” Mark 9:41
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