Drink Up!
Keeping well hydrated is one of the most important ways to maintain your health during the summer. Increased temperatures means increased sweating, which means increased water loss.
Here are some remarkable water facts from Nedra H. Sahr, M.S., C.N.S.:
- 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
- 37% of us think we’re hungry when we are thirsty.
- The Number One cause of fatigue is lack of water.
- Mild dehydration will slow metabolism as much as 3%.
A 2% drop in water stores leads to:
- Fuzzy short term memory.
- Trouble with basic math.
- Difficulty focusing on the computer screen or a printed page.
Can you drink too much water? Sure. Here are the top 3 ways you know you’ve been drinking too much water:
- You have to empty water out of your shoes more than twice a day.
- Mosquitoes start nesting on you.
- You look at a picture of Niagara Falls and say, “Mama!”
What about juice? Can we use some juice in our quest to drink enough this summer?
Well, if you’re an adult, maybe. But In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines saying fruit juice should not be given to children younger than 6 months, and that there is no nutritional reason to give it to them before their first birthday. After that, juice is optional, though the group favors whole produce and urges parents to limit juice to 4 to 6 ounces a day for children up to 6 years old, and to no more than 8 to 12 ounces for older children. And even for adults, juice is not encouraged. It is essentially water and sugar (even the all-natural, no-sugar added varieties), and the new dietary guidelines discourage sugar intake, in food or beverages.
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