# Staying Hydrated: Your Tips And Questions



## FreeThinker (Jun 8, 2008)

Summer is here!

What are good ways to stay hydrated?

I have heard that drinking beverages with caffeine will do nothing to ward off dehydration, as caffeine is a diuretic. Surely, however, this must be a question of the degree of caffeination in the beverage, yes? I mean, a Diet Pepsi is not likely to contain as much as a Jolt Cola...but does that mean it will be enough to keep your fluids where they should be?

Also, I've heard that salt is a way to help keep hydrated as it not only makes you thirsty (so you drink more) but also causes water retention, but is this water retention actually useful in terms of keeping hydrated?

Plus, it's said that specially-designed quenchers such as Gatorade are said to restore fluids (and balance electrolyte levels) even more quickly than water.



What are the facts and what are the rumors?



More importantly: What works for _you?_


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## Risible (Jun 8, 2008)

I'm lucky, Stix. Water is my preferred beverage. I fill up my 32 oz Mason jar (with a straw) with ice and water and keep that in the kitchen where I kill that quart while I prepare meals. Multiply that by 3-4 times, and I'm hydrated. I won't drink tap water though; we have a through-the-door filter ice and water dispenser in our fridge, so it's easy.

I used to drink bottled water until we got our new fridge a few months ago. I was longing to get off the bottled water kick, as plastic doesn't biodegrade and our landfills are choked with plastic bottles already. Only a small percentage of the plastic that we are careful to put in our recycle bin is actually recycled.


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## Theatrmuse/Kara (Jun 9, 2008)

I drink a lot of water also...................and limit my caffeine intake to only one cup of coffee and one diet soda a day. The amount of water varies....anything from 64 oz. to 132 oz. depending on the temp and how much time I must be out in the heat.

Risible, I also got a new fridge just last week and LOVE the filtered water dispenser............makes it so convenient to have chilled water...even my grandkids love using it!!!!!!!
Hugs, Kara


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## FreeThinker (Jun 9, 2008)

Risible said:


> I'm lucky, Stix. Water is my preferred beverage.



Water's a good 'un, but I'm on the road all day, and drinking warm water..well, bleh. 

(Although I do carry some in one-litre pop bottles, just in case. Again, bleh.)

I ususally go through about a litre of diet cola a day (almost two on hot days), as I find it's easier to toletate warm cola than warm water. I'd go with diet ginger ale (no caffeine), but I can't find it in one-litre bottles.

(The two-litre bottles are cumbersome to drink from while driving.)

I sometimes grab a decaf coffee as well, but 20 oz doesn't go far when I'm slugging over 1500 pounds of freight in high humidity.

Last Friday, it was about 32 degrees Celsius (90 Farhrenheit) here with a humidex of 41 (106 Fahrenheit), and I had a little over two litres of diet cola, and -- well, there's no way to put this delicately -- didn't need a washroom break in thirteen-and-a-half hours. That had me a little worried.

If I try to 'bank' some hydration by drinking large quantities in the morning, I end up eliminating it early in the day, which *1:* Does nothing to keep me hydrated, and *2:* makes things inconvenient, especially out in the country or on the highway.

Do you know of any way not to deplete the body's water quite so quickly?


(As an aside, and unrelated to issues of hydration, is there any truth to the "inversion theory" method of cooling off by drinking something hot? Can drinking hot liquids make the ambient temperature seem less oppressive?)​


Thaks for taking the time, Ris. And I'm with you on the bottled water thing, too...although mostly for economic reasons (never understood why carbonated water with flavouring, colouring, and sweetener was more expensive than just plain water...even gasoline is cheaper!  ).


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## mossystate (Jun 9, 2008)

I like drinking barely cool to room temperature water when it is hot outside. I like the occasional sucking down the big glass of something ice cold, but, I can get more in, and it is not so much of a ' shock ', if I do the not so icy stuff.

Also, remember that many foods are high in the moisture department. There can be such a thing as drinking too much water, especially with certain health conditions. 

It has been soooo cool in Seattle, these last few days. I have had to get up many times..to..you know. Happens less often when it is warmer..heh.

I am so thankful that I can get my heavier groceries delivered. Makes getting my cases of bottled water so much easier. I am also glad that I can get those cases for about 3.50 each...yay.


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## FreeThinker (Jun 9, 2008)

FreeThinker said:


> ...never understood why carbonated water with flavouring, colouring, and sweetener was more expensive than just plain water...



"LESS expensive," I meant to say.

Pop is inexplicably _less_ expensive than water.


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## FreeThinker (Jun 9, 2008)

mossystate said:


> Also, remember that many foods are high in the moisture department. There can be such a thing as drinking too much water, especially with certain health conditions.



Now, that's a smart lady right there!

I suppose those who aren't allergic could eat apples or such. Oranges are juicy as anything (but hard to eat in some circumstances -- driving or factory work come to mind), and carrots would probably be great as well (loves me up some carrots).


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## Tracy (Jun 17, 2008)

Water is my choice. I drink any where from 128 -160 oz. a day.


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## HottiMegan (Jun 17, 2008)

It helps tha we have a countertop ice machine. So i have cold beverages whenever i want. I was told by my doctor's nurse that iced tea doesnt count in my beverage count because of the caffeine in it. I was bummed because that sure quenches on hot summer days. So i stick to about 4-5 cups of 32oz of water.


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## JoyJoy (Jun 17, 2008)

FreeThinker said:


> Water's a good 'un, but I'm on the road all day, and drinking warm water..well, bleh.
> 
> (Although I do carry some in one-litre pop bottles, just in case. Again, bleh.)
> 
> ...



I go for water, too. 

Since you say you're on the road a lot...would it be feasible to keep a small cooler in your vehicle to keep bottles of water in? To keep from using many plastic bottles, you could re-use the same 3-4 (or however many works) in cycles, refilling them with water and freezing them the night before. When you leave in the morning, pop the frozen water bottles into the cooler, and as they thaw, you'll have a bottle of ice cold water with another one waiting in the wings as you go through your day.  If you prefer filtered water, I have a Brita pitcher which is great, or you could buy the gallon jugs to refill your bottles. The jugs aren't completely environmentally friendly, but better than the smaller individual bottles.


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## Gingembre (Jun 18, 2008)

I try to drink my 2 litres of water a day....sometimes with orange juice/squash in it. I just drink tap water. I don't know about the salt thing, but I'd have thought salt would dehydrate you more? I think I'm right in saying that it depends how much caffeine's in the drink, but tea & coffee (dont know about coke) are ok to drink for rehydration (in moderation obviously) coz the amount of caffeine doesn't dehydrate you to the extent of the amount of water in the drink. Not sure if I've made sense there - like, if you have 300ml coffee, you don't get 300ml water because of the caffeine content, but you do still get more water than you would have without the drink.


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## Tad (Jun 20, 2008)

A scattershot of thoughts, some of which may be useful, most probably not.

Vegetables are a great source of water. Carrot sticks work, although I prefer celery. Note that carrots are actually fairly high in sugar, and most of their vitamins are in the peel, so peeled carrot sticks are not really as healthy as youd think (I have a diabetic co-worker who educated me on this recently).

I dont know how practical this would be in a truck, but you know the traditional canteen? The kind you see in cowboy movies, in a canvas holder? Part of the reason they carried them that way is that if when you fill the canteen you also soak the canvas, evaporation will keep the water from warming up much, until the canvas has dried up. Wouldnt fit in a cup holder, but would be OK to drink from at stops Id think.

Could you get a small cooler, and throw in some of those re-usable freezer packs (usually plastic with a blue liquid inside)? That would let you hopefully keep some water at least reasonably cool. Also you can fill up a couple of soft water bottles about three fourths or a bit more of the way, and put them in the freezer (might need to leave the cap a bit loose). (the extra space is because the ice will take up more room than the water). Put those in the cooler, which will help keep your other water cool, and by later in the day they will have melted at least part of the way, and you can drink the cold water out of them). Even if you dont bring a cooler, bring along a bottle or two of ice and youll have cold water later in the day. Or if you get a wide mouth bottle, fill it up with ice-cubes, and you can always crunch on them as you drive, for hydration and cooling!

Note that instead of buying bottled water you can buy re-usable water bottles, and fill those up anyplace that you would be able to buy coffee. 

Our car does not have air conditioning, so for sure it gets hot in the summer. On long drives I take along an old cap and a wash cloth, and at each stop Ill soak both of them in cold water, then put the cap on and lay the cold-wet cloth over the back of my neck, on a knee, or wherever. Really those are just a sweat substitutes, the water evaporating from them saves you from sweating so much, so you dont have to drink as much.

I dont think salt keeps you any more hydrated, at least not in a good sense. However when you are sweating a LOT, you do need some electrolytes. Gatorade type drinks will supply them, so will a beer once you are finally home, but failing that a bit of something salty can help (At one point in his life my father helped crew sailboats on week long races, and he said it was amazing how without fail youd see the people who were only drinking water be in rough shape at the end of the day, while those who had a beer or two along the way held up much better. Obviously you cant have the beer while on your rounds, but on those hot humid days Im sure you need something!)

Best of luck with staying cool and hydrated for the rest of the summer.


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## MuleVariationsNYC (Jun 20, 2008)

Salty drinks help you stay hydrated because water is generally passively absorbed in the GI tract. It goes along for the ride when ions (generally sodium) are absorbed. You also need sufficient salt in your body to keep the water that's already there. You run into problems with salty drinks if you have so much salt that the body has to get rid of it by peeing it out, and you end up losing more water than you gain.


Rehydration is best achieved by drinks that have both salt and sugar in them. There's a quirk in the sodium ion transporter in the intestines which makes it work 4 times faster when glucose is present. Therefore, water is absorbed 4x faster as are necessary electrolytes (salt and electrolytes are interchangable terms). This is why Gatorade and drinks like it are so effective, as is Pedialyte. Beer is OK because it has sugar, although not much salt. It's not ideal because alcohol acts as a diuretic, but it's not the worst thing.

If you're already hydrated, and eating properly, water is probably all you need. If you're already dehydrated, and need to catch up, a beverage with sugar and some salt but doesn't have caffeine or alcohol is a better bet. Gatorade is a can't miss solution in those moments, although you can also buy packets of rehyrdation solution to mix with water. Those are scientifically balanced to provide maximum absorption (but most people don't like the taste ) Same if you're anticipating really sweating later on, and want to absorb as much as you can before facing the elements.

Hope this helps.


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## MissToodles (Jun 23, 2008)

You're better off with young coconut water rather than gatorade. It's all natural, without the added corn syrup and all natural. And I find it much more palatable.

Here are some coconut water facts:

_[/It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak." In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water - siphoned directly from the nut - to give emergency plasma trasfusions to wounded soldiers. 

Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas - once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment. 

Coconut Water is More Nutritious than whole milk - Less fat and NO cholesterol! 
Coconut Water is More Healthy than Orange Juice - Much lower calories 
Coconut Water is Better than processed baby milk- It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk 
Coconut water is naturally sterile -- Water permeates though the filtering husk! 
Coconut water is a universal donor-- Its identical to human blook plasma 
Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage - The same level we have in our blood. 
Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries thru Coconut IV. 
"Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically Pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue... and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural!", according to Mortin Satin, Chielf of the United Nation's Food & Agriculture Organization.

Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks. 

Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg!

Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars. 

Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg. 

Data is based on a 100ml drink.







_


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## MuleVariationsNYC (Jun 23, 2008)

That is good info, Miss T. I didn't know that about coconut water, except that I've loved it the few times I've had it fresh. I'm guessing you can find it in places like Whole Foods, and certain ethnically-oriented food shops?

I hope it didn't seem like I was stumping for Gatorade, et al. They have their drawbacks - poor taste, and unnecessarily expensive for what's essentially salt, sugar, water and food coloring. But in a pinch, easy enough to find, and a safe bet.


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## Bafta1 (Jun 23, 2008)

FreeThinker said:


> Summer is here!
> 
> What are good ways to stay hydrated?
> 
> ...



Ummmm, drink water. I don't know where you are, but if you're hot, drink water. Not coffee, not coconut milk, WATER!


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## Bafta1 (Jun 23, 2008)

FreeThinker said:


> Water's a good 'un, but I'm on the road all day, and drinking warm water..well, bleh.
> 
> (Although I do carry some in one-litre pop bottles, just in case. Again, bleh.)
> 
> ...



OK, you worry me 

Just drink water. Warm water is actually better for you than ice-cold water, so your on-the-road warm water bottles are great. Trust me!


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## FreeThinker (Jul 4, 2008)

JoyJoy said:


> I go for water, too.
> 
> Since you say you're on the road a lot...would it be feasible to keep a small cooler in your vehicle to keep bottles of water in? To keep from using many plastic bottles, you could re-use the same 3-4 (or however many works) in cycles, refilling them with water and freezing them the night before. When you leave in the morning, pop the frozen water bottles into the cooler, and as they thaw, you'll have a bottle of ice cold water with another one waiting in the wings as you go through your day.  If you prefer filtered water, I have a Brita pitcher which is great, or you could buy the gallon jugs to refill your bottles. The jugs aren't completely environmentally friendly, but better than the smaller individual bottles.



Thanks for keeping the environmental aspect of this in mind. 

I used to freeze a few plastic pop bottles with water in them to take along each day...but usually I ended up trying to drink a solid block of ice through an opening that wouldn't let it out of the bottle!

A cooler is a bit cumbersome in the truck as well, although I agree that it's a good idea in most cases.




MuleVariationsNYC said:


> Salty drinks help you stay hydrated because water is generally passively absorbed in the GI tract. It goes along for the ride when ions (generally sodium) are absorbed. You also need sufficient salt in your body to keep the water that's already there. You run into problems with salty drinks if you have so much salt that the body has to get rid of it by peeing it out, and you end up losing more water than you gain.
> 
> 
> Rehydration is best achieved by drinks that have both salt and sugar in them. There's a quirk in the sodium ion transporter in the intestines which makes it work 4 times faster when glucose is present. Therefore, water is absorbed 4x faster as are necessary electrolytes (salt and electrolytes are interchangable terms). This is why Gatorade and drinks like it are so effective, as is Pedialyte. Beer is OK because it has sugar, although not much salt. It's not ideal because alcohol acts as a diuretic, but it's not the worst thing.
> ...



Friggin' amazing. Thank you for that.

It seems my apporach has been wrong in more ways than one: Not only does the diet cola contain caffeine, but it has no sugar -- who knew?




MissToodles said:


> You're better off with young coconut water rather than gatorade. It's all natural, without the added corn syrup and all natural. And I find it much more palatable.



When did nature start making fake Gatorade? 

It's a shame one can get to be my age and not know of these non-commercial solutions to such common issues. Thank you for the enlightenment.

Seems if you're not careful, you might just learn something new every day.


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## FatAndProud (Jul 6, 2008)

what about sucking on ice cubes? just have a container of them....yeah some will melt on the road...but it's hands free, and it kinda gives the illusion of eating something lol

if i'm hot, i always drink gatorade because when i drink it i feel quenched. it doesn't leave the weird film on the roof of my mouth or anything. i also drink crystal light....with water, obviously. it's different than just plain o' water.


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