It’s been a scorcher of a summer in the Northeast, and I find myself needing to consume far more water to stay hydrated. But according to registered dietician and nutritionist Lauren Minchen I’m still not drinking enough water.
“The exact amounts [of water] vary person to person, but 2 to 4 liters for active adults is a general target range to aim for to stay adequately hydrated, and your needs may vary in that range with changing outdoor temperatures,” Minchen said… However, she said, your water intake will most likely be higher due if you exercise regularly because your muscles require more water to function properly and maintain mass. (Source: HuffPost)
That’s a lot of water? Are you drinking enough water to satisfy your body’s needs?
Amy Shapiro, another registered dietician and nutritionist, offers a simple formula for offsetting summertime sweat and generally maintaining healthy hydration levels.
“It is important to replenish the water we lose when we sweat to prevent dehydration,” Shapiro said. “One of the best ways to accomplish this is to drink water throughout the day and before you actually feel thirsty.”
Shapiro recommends drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 180 pounds, you need to drink 90 ounces, or about 3 liters, of water daily. (Source: HuffPost)
So, the skinny is that most of us need to increase our water intake during the hot summer months. And it turns out that aging complicates the equation a little further. According to holistic nutrition coach Andrea Moss, the older we grow, the more easily we experience a hydration deficit.
“Our thirst mechanism gets weaker with age, so getting in a habit of sipping water throughout the day, at every age, is a great idea to be sure we’re staying optimally hydrated,” Moss said. (Source: HuffPost)
Are you drinking enough water?