Guess what I get asked the most?
Do I really need to drink 8 cups of water per day? And how about coffee, does it dehydrate you?—especially because it makes me pee! Here’s the surprise…. most people drink enough fluids.
We lose water when we pee, breathe, and sweat. Feeling thirsty is the first obvious sign of dehydration, but most of us need water before we feel thirsty. Here are athe mild symptoms of dehydration: pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation. Urine that is light amber in color may also indicate that you may not be getting enough water too. But remember taking a multiple vitamin can also make your urine bright yellow.
So how much water is enough? The best thing I can tell you is to rely on your senses. If you feel thirsty—drink. Our daily needs can change from day to day. However, some experts believe you can estimate the amount of water you need by taking your weight in pounds and dividing that number in half. This gives you the number of ounces you may want to drink each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you might want to drink at least 75 ounces of water or other fluids per day (that’s 9 cups). Then if you exercise, you should drink another eight ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water. It can add up quick!
What’s the best beverage choice … water! Sodas have added sugar that adds extra calories. Sports drinks added sugar and calories that you may not want. Fruit and vegetable juices as well as milk are good because they have vitamins and nutrients but they have calories too—so read the label. And, tea and coffee count too. In fact, regular coffee and tea drinkers lose very little fluid as reported in the Journal of American College of Nutrition. But be careful because too much caffeine can make you feel jittery.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions! Heidi
