The dog days of summer are now upon us and is important for all of us to adjust our patterns a little bit. In the summer we are exposed to the elements more than usual, and trips to the beach, or working or playing outside for extended periods can take its toll on a body and even put you at risk for sunburn, sunstroke, exhaustion and dehydration. You need to drink up. Here’s how to stay hydrated this summer.
The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%. The average adult human body is 50-65% water, averaging around 57-60%. The percentage of water in infants is much higher, typically around 75-78% water, dropping to 65% by one year of age.
The average adult male is about 60% water. The average adult woman is about 55% water because women naturally have more fatty tissue than men. Overweight men and women have more water, as a percent, than their leaner counterparts.
The percent of water depends on your hydration level. People feel thirsty when they have already lost around 2-3% of their body’s water. Mental performance and physical coordination start to become impaired before thirst kicks in, typically around 1% dehydration
– AnneMarie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
We all know that we lose water when we perspire, and that water should be constantly replaced to avoid the above symptoms. You rarely see an athlete running, cycling or even bench-warming without a bottle of water or a neon coloured sports drink at his or her side, but we often forget to keep on top of it, failing to hydrate before venturing out, or neglecting to bring a water bottle with us on walks to the park or even our day to day activities.
Tonica Kombucha is sampling in the store on Saturday, come out and try their amazing product.
How much water? According to the MayoClinic it is about 3 litres a day for men, and 2.2. litres for women. Many of us adhere to the 8×8 rule: a cup (eight ounces) of water 8 times a day, which , at 1.9 litres is pretty close to the recommended amounts. And more when we are exercising, or in extreme conditions.
If you get bored of drinking water, or find that you would rather have something more exciting than water to drink, there are lots of options. The Globe and Mail recently wrote an interesting article on which summer fruits should be used in smoothies that are best for hydrating the body.
Kids and teens are all over sports drinks, but they do tend to have a lot of colouring and sweeteners added, and seem rather pricey for coloured sweet water. Maple water is a great hydrator; it is Canadian made and is delicious to boot, although it isn’t widely available. Coconut water is though and it’s popularity just keeps growing.
O.N.E. coconut water is a great choice for a drink that is specially designed to maximize rehydration. Coconut water is the fluid that is inside a coconut when you crack it open, and contains naturally occurring electrolytes and significant levels of magnesium and potassium as well. In fact 500 ml of coconut water has more potassium than a banana.
In addition to straight, unadulterated coconut water, the manufacturers of O.N.E. also offer varities that have added hits of fruit juice; mango and pineapple, to make hydrating delicious as well as healthy. The added fruit juices give as much as 180% of your vitamin C requirement for the day, making it a great way to add a little variety, nutrition and flavour to the daily task of making sure you get plenty to drink.