Source: Bothell, Wash.-based Essentia Water Dr. Ralph E. Holsworth Jr., director of clinical & scientific research, Essentia Water.
As summer comes to a close, we put away the swimsuits and light clothing. It’s important we don’t do the same with water. When the mercury drops and we layeron warm clothes, it’s more important than ever to stay properly hydrated. When it’s cold out you may not sweat as much, and even if you do it can evaporate quicker. It only takes a 1 percent to 2 percent drop in body fluid for a person to become dehydrated. By the time you feel thirsty (and sometimes when you don’t) you may already be getting dehydrated. Bothell, Wash.-based Essentia Water has prepared these five tips for proper hydration during cool weather, whether you’re running the Seattle Marathon or just raking leaves on a brisk day.
- Set a daily water intake goal. Eight 8-oz. glasses of water daily is ideal to maintain proper hydration, which is equal to about 1.9 liters. Start your day by filling a 64-oz. tumbler or setting out bottles of your favorite water totaling your daily goal.
- Winter it up. Chilled water isn’t quite appealing during winter. To make it more desirable, warm a mug of water or add a burst of flavor from your favorite winter fruit, including oranges, tangerines or cranberries. Whether water is warm or cold, the hydration rate is the same.
- Know your seasonal sweat rate. Weigh yourself undressed, exercise for an hour, then weigh yourself again. Subtract your post-exercise rate from your pre-exercise weight, multiply by 16 (to convert pounds to ounces) and add the number of ounces of water you drank during exercise. This number tells how many ounces of fluid you lost, and provides a goal for hourly water consumption. Exercise level, altitude; temperature and attire can affect this rate, so check it seasonally. For those not skilled in math, use 4 oz. water per 15 minutes as a point of reference.
- Check the bowl. If it’s brown, you need to flush more water down. A tried and true way to know if you’re getting enough water is to inspect your urine color. A pale yellow is ideal. If it’s really dark yellow, you’re probably not drinking enough – up your water intake. A more posh approach is to check your skin. If it’s really dry, increase fluids.
- Consider drinking an electrolyte-enhanced alkaline water. Conventional thinking in the wellness community is that disease and infection have a harder time thriving in an alkaline environment. Optimally alkaline, high-pH water like Essentia can help neutralize acid levels and restore your body back to a more natural state, which is great to help avoid or fight winter colds and flu.
About Essentia Water
Bothell, Wash.-based Essentia Water, Inc., the innovator of the first functional bottle water in the U.S., launched its Super Hydrating WaterTM in 1998. Committed to hydration research, Essentia recently completed a pilot study to measure the effect of dehydration, using firefighters from the Truckwila Fire Department. It found that just 30 minutes of stringent firefighting led to as much as a 17.2 percent increase in blood viscosity (“stickiness of blood”) levels. Blood viscosity is important because it helps determine how hard the heart has to pump and how much oxygen is delivered to the body’s organs. Less than one hour after proper rehydration, these levels improved back to near-normal levels. Study findings highlight the effect dehydration can have on the body, and remind everyone about the importance of staying hydrated during exercise for good overall health. For more information about Essentia Water, visit www.essentiawater.com.
