Drink Water: Keep Yourself Afloat!

Everybody talks about hydration these days. Don't forget to hydrate. Stay hydrated. There were even scheduled "Hydration Breaks" during this summer's FIFA World Cup games. But, what about for ordinary mortals like us who aren’t chasing balls around a field under a hot sun or running marathons--do we really need to drink as much water as we’re told—8 to 13 glasses, or 72 to 104 ounces, a day? This sounds like a lot, especially for older people who live fairly sedentary lives.  The short answer is yes.  Our bodies lose water over the course of a day, no matter what our age and with even minimal to no physical exercise.  This lost water needs replacing.  Interestingly, men's bodies contain more water than women's do, so men need to drink more water than women do.

So, even if we don’t feel thirsty, we need to drink water throughout the day.  Remembering to do this can be part of the challenge, so keeping a water bottle handy can make this easier; for those of us who prefer flavored drinks to water, we adding a few slices of lemon or orange can make plain water more palatable.  Even better, we can “eat” some of our daily water in the form of water-rich fruits and veggies. Great summer options include watermelon, strawberries, and tomatoes, all of which are between 90% and 96% water. Fall offers its own tasty high-water options like pumpkin, zucchini, and squash. Fall fruits like apples and pears give us both fiber and high water content. So happy hydrating!