Take a bottle, drink it down...

To quote a Pearl Jam song "Take a bottle, drink it down, pass it around". Although surely Eddie Vedder probably wasn't referencing water, it applies.


In the middle of summer with many cities experiencing heat waves, it especially important to remain hydrated throughout the day. Are you getting enough water?


According to the Mayo Clinic the following are signs that you are not getting enough water: (mild dehydration)

• Dry, sticky mouth
• Sleepiness or tiredness — children are likely to be less active than usual
• Thirst
• Decreased urine output — fewer than six wet diapers a day for infants and eight hours or more without urination for older children and teens
• Few or no tears when crying
• Muscle weakness
• Headache
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

The media output is "8x8". Meaning 8 oz of water 8 times per day.  However, this is not truly accurate but a good starting point. Activity level, diet, environment, pregnancy/breast feeding can affect how your water intake is being processed.  There are some easy tools like a daily water calculator that calculates how much water you should be drinking per day based on your activity level and weight.


How can you take in this much water throughout the day? Try tricking yourself by adding lemon wedges or cucumber slices into your water for a little more flavor. I also like adding a green tea bag, like TAZO's Zen tea with lemongrass and spearmint, into my water jug with room temperature water and drinking throughout the day.  If you are working out quite a bit try adding ZICO Coconut water after work out. Full of natural electrolytes and rehydrates quicker than water.


A good testing point is your urine outtake. According to my acupuncturist, your urine at the beginning of your day should be the most concentrated and dark. If you are drinking enough water throughout the day it should gradually become less and less concentrated until it is clear by mid afternoon through the evening.


So drink it down and stay hydrated, healthy and happy.