Hydration Strategies

Hydration Strategies

Did you know that a significant percentage of the American Population is walking around dehydrated right now? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that Most Adults drink about 39 ounces of water per day. Kids are estimated to only consume around 15 ounces. It is also interesting to note that individuals with lower education levels and lower income drink less1 If you contrast this to the Mayo Clinic recommendations that women consume 89 ounces of fluid per day and Men consume 122 ounces, 2 you can see that most of us are falling short!

According to the Mayo Clinic, here are some of the signs and symptoms to look for with dehydration. These will vary according to age.

When to see a doctor

• Has had diarrhea for 24 hours or more

• Is irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual

• Can’t keep down fluids

• Has bloody or black stool

It is easy to get busy and simply forget to hydrate properly. Life gets busy and before you know it, the day is over and you haven’t met your hydration goals for the day. Here are some of the things you can do to make sure you are consuming enough fluids throughout your day:

1. Check your urine. It should be clear or a pale yellow. Dark Urine means that you may be dehydrated. Quick note on this: Certain B vitamins will make your urine appear a fluorescent yellow color, so if you are taking a multi vitamin or B Vitamin or Complex, you will want to make note of this.

2. Track your fluid intake. Get yourself a water bottle and measure how much you consume throughout the day. Not all of your fluids need to be plain water, but here is a good rule of thumb to follow: If the fluid has caffeine, you should not count it as fluid intake. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning that it actually causes you to lose water. Other sugar-free substances can be counted as fluid intake.

3. A great rule of thumb is take your body weight in pounds, divide by 2 and aim for that much water/fluid intake per day.

4. Create habits around hydration. For example, when you get up in the morning, drink 20 oz. of water.

5. Look for healthy fluids to keep things interesting. Let’s face it, plain water can get boring at times, and if you are cutting out sugary, preservative-laden junky drinks, that might leave you wondering what you can drink. One of the drivers behind the creation of ePickL is to help fill that void. You need hydration, but you want it to taste good, and leave you feeling good about what went into your body. If you add a bottle of one of the great flavors to your routine, you will find it might be easier to meet your hydration goal. This can be combined with #4 above. For instance, you might want to make ePickl part of your post workout routine to help replenish the electrolytes you have lost. Or, simply add it to your afternoon as a refreshing way to get a boost mid-afternoon without the sugary crash.

6. Look out for an increased need for fluids. If you exercising in a hot or humid environment, or exercising longer than 60 minutes in any climate, you will need to consider supplementing with an electrolyte replacement like ePickl. The chef-inspired taste and next-level hydration properties make it easy to take in electrolytes while you are busy sweating them out. It is especially important to monitor your children when they are outside exercising as they may not be as in touch with their hydration needs as an adult.

We hope this helps you take a new look at dehydration and ways you can ensure you are not one of the many people walking around dehydrated!

Resources

1. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/plain-water-the-healthier-choice.htmlhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256#:~:text=%20The%20U.S.%20National%20Academies%20of%20Sciences%2C%20Engineering%2C,of%20fluids%20a%20day%20for%20women%20More%20https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086