Don’t Forget to Stay Hydrated this Fall

As temperatures cool off, we don’t often think to remind ourselves or our family member to stay hydrated. Yet, it remains vital, and with children off in school and playing sports into the afternoon, it might even be a more important time to brush up on these tips. Water is essential to life but sometimes how much we need and how to stay hydrated can be less than clear. There are so many myths such as "caffeinated beverages don't count as water" and "you have to drink 8 glasses of water every day." Our thirst generally reminds us to stay hydrated, especially on hot summer days, but as we move into fall, it is a good time to take another look at staying hydrated.
 
In the fall, our kids go back to school and get back into all of the associated activities. It may have been easy to kee them hydrated when their schedule involved more free time at home, but now we need to help keep them hydrated during the school day and through all of their activities. Often teachers will allow students to keep water at their desks. Students can enjoy plain water or low calorie or no calorie clear beverages. Studies have shown that adding a bit of flavor encourages kids to drink a bit more and stay hydrated. And for the younger kids, including them in the water bottle selection process might get them more involved and invested in staying hydrated. However you do it, staying hydrated helps them stay focused for a full day of learning. It’s also important to pack a beverage for after school too if they go right to sports or clubs.

So do they have to drink 8 glasses of water every day? Well, no. It makes sense that a grown man would need more fluid than a 6-year-old girl. One size does not fit all. If you want to be precise, try this online hydration calculator: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/hal_sunrisetosunset.html. That 6-year-old needs about 5 cups of beverages a day, but note that her milk, juice and other beverages count toward that total, not just the water she drinks. 

And this means 5 cups, not 5 huge glasses. Often our drinking glasses hold 16 ounces, which is two cups. A teen girl needs about 7 cups of fluid, and a teen boy should shoot for 11. But knowing that all beverages count and that a 16 ounce beverage is two cups makes this a less dauntin task.

As parents, we tend to focus our energy on keeping our children well nourished.  But don’t forget yourself! Experts caution that a loss of just 1-2% of body water can put a strain on the cardiovascular system and cause both health and performance to suffer -- from fuzzy memory to problems focusing on a computer screen and more.  The good news is that, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, all beverages hydrate – even those with caffeine. So my morning cups (yes plural) of coffee not only wake me up, they hydrate me too. So does the occasional lunchtime Diet Coke.
 
I encourage my patients to find what they enjoy in order to get their daily hydration needs met. For some, water works, and that’s great. If you are like me, you might not really enjoy the taste of water and that can hinder your hydration. I find a flavored beverage such as vitaminwater is a good option. What I like about vitaminwater is that it not only helps hydrate but also serves up an excellent source of c and b vitamins and electrolytes. I take that on my hikes.
 
Bottom line: know your own body’s hydration needs and make sure to take along enough of what you enjoy to keep your energy level as high as your kids’ so you can keep up!