Watered Down
Last week, we suffered through massive amounts of rainfall and, this week, a heatwave. Officially, a heat wave is defined as three continuous days of high temperatures in the 90’s. With temperatures already soaring, what are you doing to keep sufficiently hydrated? Tired of sipping the same plain old bottled water?
Don’t you love it when you examine the nutritional value of any bottle of water—zero calories, zero fat, zero carbs, zero sodium, and zero sugar? Before we get to a wonderful drink to quench your thirst with zero calories and great nutritional value, let’s first review the facts of Hydration 101 to make sure we know the importance of staying hydrated in the summer heat and humidity.
During a heat wave, the most important thing is staying hydrated. And people who have a heart condition, are older than 50 or are overweight may have to take extra precautions. Our bodies are about 75 percent water, and blood is nearly 80 percent water, so it is necessary to replenish what is lost every day. When water is not replaced, blood thickens, forcing the heart to work harder and raising the risk of heart attack. Staying watered down or up is essential for heart function, but it also helps with alertness, controlling appetite, and generally improving all activity.