The 411 on Water Intake

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Dehydration is a serious matter. All parts of our body need water to do their jobs. It depends on our amount of activity as to how much water we need. And the fluid intake is not just water. We can get what we need from coffee, tea, juice, some fruits and sports drinks. Although coffee is a diuretic this fact does not offset hydration. There are times during the day when a person may be more thirsty than at other times. One of these times is when we think we are hungry. Drinking about 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before a meal can help both your appetite and help you to lose weight. Drinking water when you first wake up after the long fast can give you a quick jump start. When you sweat from manual labor and exercise it is a good time to replace the fluid your body loses as your muscles warm up and the body perspires to cast off heat. Your body needs lots of water in order to cool down. Also, drink 6 to 12 ounces every 10-15 minutes while you are active. After ward drink about 16 to 24 more ounces. When you are sick you may have such symptoms as fever, diarrhea, or vomiting. These can cause extreme fluid loss in the body. At the very first signs of illness drink plenty of liquids. When flying the higher the plane goes the drier the cabin air becomes. It is smart to drink plenty of water to combat the super low humidity level during a flight. To combat premenstrual discomfort and reduce bloating drink a lot of water before it starts. One of the biggest causes of cramps is dehydration. If you experience a midday slump try drinking a tall glass of water. The state of your hydration directly affects your memory, mood, and visual perception. If you get a headache this may be due to a dip in fluid intake. It is a smart idea to correlate water intake with a certain activity or time during the day. First thing in the morning, during and after the most active time of the day, and before meals are all good times to get used to drinking water. The amount of hydration the individual body needs depends on how active you are and what your daily schedule is like. A man will usually need about 15.5(124 fluid ounces) cups of water each day while a woman will probably need about 11.5 cups(92 fluid ounces).