What Are You Drinking?
 
The heat of a summer's day and the body's increased need for water may tempt you to grab any cold beverage. Follow these tips to optimize health and decrease dehydration risks:

 
-To calculate how much water you need each day, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.08; the result is your requirement in eight-ounce cups.
-Keep in mind that about half of our fluid needs come from foods such as fruits and vegetables.
-Studies show people consume fewer calories when their meals have a high liquid content.
-Dehydration symptoms include fatigue, headaches, and muscle cramps; it can cause people to feel irritable and be unproductive. Athletes may not perform up to par. Dehydration is one of the most common causes of hospitalization for people over 65!
-Despite the caffeine content, coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages can count toward your daily liquid intake, though not as completely as water.
-Beware the calories in the fancy coffees like the 450 calories in a small McDonald's Mocha Frappe or 330 calories in a 16-ounce Starbucks Caffe Mocha.
-Alcohol definitely increases the body's water need and cannot be included in your liquid intake.
-The most recent national nutrition survey found that sugar-sweetened sodas are the single largest source of calories in the American diet: 7.1 %.
-Consider drinking plain water from the tap (filtered at home if need be),which reduces the environmental effects of plastic bottles. Let foods remain your best source of needed nutrients.
 
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