Hydration...

As a + person, I take a lot meds.  These meds have to be metabolized by the body & that can be thirsty business.  There is the old story of 8 - 8 ounce cups of water being enough to keep you hydrated.  As with most things, there is no one-size-fits-all quantity of water needed daily the fits the bill for everyone. One of the most commonly accepted methods of determining water consumption is to take your body weight & divide by 2.  Take that amount as the number of ounces you should drink a day.  Example, if you weigh 128 pounds then you would need 64 ounces of water or the proverbial 8 cups.  However, if you weigh 240, then you'd need 120 ounces or 15 cups or just under a gallon.  (If you use metric measurements, you'll need to convert these numbers.)  I am not going to go into citations here.  If you have any question, then google it, there are lots of web-sites on this matter.  

There are other things to consider when determining water amounts.  Iis it very hot or cold?  Is it very dry out?  Are you pregnant?  Are you breast feeding?  Do you take medications?   Do you regularly exercise?  All of these can add to the amount of water you need to drink.  I know that the amount of water may seem daunting, but remember that most studies state that your get 20% of your daily water from food, so a 100 ounces goes down to 80.

I start every morning drinking between 16 - 20 ounces before I take meds or eat anything.  This helps rehydrate the body.  It's also the easiest time for me to drink the water.  I take meds & I will tell you from experience that not drinking enough water with your meds is a bad idea.  The water can somewhat buffer your stomach from the meds.  I drink at least 8 ounces with my meds.  So by the time I've been up for 30 minutes I've already had at least 24 - 28 ounces of water intake.

How do you know when you've drank enough?  Take a look at your urine.  If your urine is pale or clear, you are probably well hydrated,  Don't expect any urine output that takes place right after you wake up to be clear.

Can I drink caffeinated products?  For a long time the standard answer to that was, No. However, research is showing that caffeinated drinks hydrate as well as non-caffeinated.  For the caffeine to act as a diuretic you have to drink a lot of the stuff.  It's still probably best that most of your hydration comes from plain water though.  Juice can count, but do remember, juice can hold some serious sugar levels & calories.

When you are hydrated, you just feel better.  It's reflected in your appearance, especially your skin & hair.  It can lessen your appetite.  Proper hydration affects just about every system in your body; joints, skin, bones, mental state, digestion...  It can aid in reducing fatigue, aids circulation, lowers the chances of some cancers... Oddly enough drinking enough water can actually cut down on fluid retention in the body.

Our bodies consist largely of water.  It only makes sense that the water would have to be replaced.  I know that when I am hydrated that I feel better.  I wake up feeling less groggy & sluggish.  My meds bother me less when I drink enough water.  My advice to any + person out there is to drink lots of water.

Happy Hydration