Stay Hydrated
By Angie Lustrick, CN, CPT

Now that the summer months are here, it’s time to assess our body’s internal needs.
As the temperature rises outside, our body loses more water through sweat and evaporation. Being that a normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water, this water loss needs to be replenished throughout the day to keep our body working properly.
Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water we can only stay alive for a few days.
Did you know that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? In fact, it has been estimated that half the world population is dehydrated. So, why is this so? Is it because there is a lack of fluids available? The answer is no. The reason is that the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. So it is very common for people to over eat due to being thirsty. In fact, one glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters.
But over eating isn’t the only problem caused by a lack of water, even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%. So, even if you aren’t over-eating, you may gain weight. Also, a mere drop in body water by 2% is the main cause of daytime fatigue and can cause fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
Without water, we'd be poisoned to death by our own waste products because when the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, these must be dissolved in water. We even need water to breathe. Our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide.

Now that I got your attention, most people have no idea how much water they should drink. The average human requirement is about three quarts of water per day. An inactive person in a cool climate may need less, while an athlete training in the desert will need much more. Eight to ten, eight-ounce glasses of water is the minimum amount a person needs every day. You need more if you exercise a lot or live in a hot climate. (Riverside gets very hot!) Overweight people should drink in an extra glass for every 25 pounds they exceed their ideal weight.
By drinking enough water throughout the day, research has shown that it can significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers, it can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?