Try these 5 ways to stay hydrated
Are you aware of the 8×8 rule for drinking water? The rule dictates that you should be drinking eight, eight-ounce glasses of water every day.
People who are healthy meet their fluid needs when they consume water with their meals and drink when they feel thirsty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So is it necessary to follow the 8×8 rule then?
“Generally speaking, if you are healthy, this is a reasonable amount of water to consume in a 24-hour period for an adult,” says Dr. Susana Salcedo, an internal medical physician at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill. “Healthy adults can do very well with a wide range of water consumption in a day. Their fluid requirement also depends on their activity level, the temperature of their environment, and if they have any condition that increases their needs. The 8×8 rule is a good starting point but can vary.”
Dr. Salcedo also recommends to follow your thirst.
“It is an excellent indicator of your needs,” she adds. “Another guide to determine your hydration status is the color of your urine. If you are well-hydrated, it should be a faint yellow color. If your urine is much darker, it is time to increase your fluid intake.”
Many health benefits come from adequate water consumption. According to the CDC, water helps protect your spinal cord and sensitive tissues. It also helps maintain a regular body temperature, cushion joints, as well as facilitates waste removal through sweating, urinating and bowel movements.
If you struggle to drink water, here are some tips to stay hydrated from Dr. Salcedo:
- Follow your thirst.
- Increase your fluid intake if your urine is darker than a faint yellow color.
- Finish a tall glass of water with each meal.
- Try to get at least one serving of a fruit, vegetable or whole grain with every meal or snack.
- If you are sick, hot or exercising, drink more water and watch your urine color.
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
I noticed into todays suggestion regarding th 3 steps in washing hands properly the 3rd. step suggests using a hand dryer.
Numerous studies in the past have concluded that hand dryers found in most public restrooms harbor more bacteria then any other form of drying ones hands in that setting.
Researchers suggest either using the paper towel dispenser and to make sure you pull down on the dispenser to release the paper before you wash your hands so you do not come in contact with the preexisting bacteria on the dispenser.
8X8 of water is not accurate. When the “guideline” (not “dictate”) was published by the federal gov’t in 1937, it stated that 64 oz. of LIQUID should be consumed each day. Medical people today aren’t sure when & how this morphed into 64 oz. of water.
Lee, what are the newest guidelines then for the amount of water someone should consume in a day ?
8×8 is 64!!
This 8×8 rule is misleading and should not be promoted without conditions. Heart failure patients will end up in ER with 64 Oz of water on top of other liquid. In addition, there is no solid evidence of health benefit from extra water intake. You just do not live longer by drinking more water.