Healthy Water Consumption

[Peanut]

I introduced water consumption in another thread yesterday. Today I searched the forum for water consumption rates for healthy living and found very little. Plenty of threads on water, from berky filters to wells, rivers and springs to Mad Maxine Waters. But nothing on healthy water consumption.

I see the health issues caused by too little water consumption almost daily. Both my very elderly parents are chronically dehydrated and have a wide range of symptoms as a result. I simply can’t get them to drink enough water and constantly have to deal with the consequences.

Both get several UTI’s and sinus infections each year.

https://www.normanurology.com/blog/3-ways-dehydration-can-impact-your-urology-system

Chronic dehydration also causes joint pain, and exacerbates arthritis symptoms. Its simple lack of lubrication in joints.

https://creakyjoints.org/living-with-arthritis/dehydration-and-arthritis/

It also causes cognitive issues.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5986442/

And adversely affects blood pressure, both low and high blood pressure

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dehydration-and-blood-pressure

Here is an article at the Cleveland Clinic on dehydration and risks to seniors.

Drink Up: The Connection Between Age and Dehydration

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/...s-an-often-overlooked-health-risk-for-seniors

This is a screen save from the Cleveland Clinic on recommended water consumption…

Been ages since I added up my daily intake of liquids. Soooo… I have cfs, we don’t function without caffeine so my liquid intake is caffeine heavy.

Always 2 – 12oz pepsi’s just to get moving in the morning.
24oz

16oz of tea or water at lunch
40oz

12oz pepsi or water about 2pm
52oz

12oz of water and another 12oz pepsi between 3-5pm
76oz

10oz of lemonade with dinner at 6pm
86oz

6oz of lemonade with snack about 9pm (unless it’s ice cream)
92oz

6oz of water to sip on til bedtime…

98oz total liquid intake for an average day when I’m at home.

I eat a lot of salads and melons during the week along with beans, peas and corn as side dishes which are all liquid heavy.

If I drop below 80oz I get more severe headaches and joint pain. This usually happens on days when I go to town for groceries and errands (town puts me in a crappy mood anyway). I try to be in town at lunch and try to drink 2 big glasses of tea with my meal to compensate. Doesn’t always happen but I most often eat chinese in town so I always have a bowl of hot n sour soup.

My average daily intake over the course of a week is about 90oz not counting foods. But I'm not a big guy, about 170lbs. Still, if events disrupt my normal routine several days I really suffer physically.

Any of you have dehydration issues? What's your average daily consumption?

 

[Amish Heart]

Maybe I should drink more. If it's hot and I'm outside, I drink lots more water. I don't drink sugared drinks. Two twelve oz cups of black coffee (one in the morning, one after lunch). About 5 each 8 oz cups of home brewed tea (with yerbe matte) cold. Sometimes a cup of milk, too. At least 8 oz cup of water once a day. That's with today's weather and today's outside workload. I don't like drinking so much after dinner because I don't like to get up at night to use the bathroom.
I am constantly bringing husband large cups of ice water, cups of coffee, apple juice, you name it. He actually should not be drinking so much since he limits his salt and it screws up his sodium and potassium. I've never had a UTI, but mom would get them, not drink enough either. She hated drinking water.

 

[Pearl]

GREAT THREAD!! I've learned over the years that many older folks who are not active can easily become dehydrated! I can't tell you how many times I've been at one of my jobs to hear that their doctor told them they are dehydrated!! I always encourage my older friends to keep a bottle of water at all times, if it's handy you'll drink it!!

 

[Pearl]

And remember, coffee and beer are diuretics!! Hubby is an all day coffee drinker, he makes sure to balance that with our wonderful mineral water from our wells! Same with me if I'm drinking beer! In the summer I can drink a gallon of milk a day by myself! Some reason I crave it when it's hot out!! Lots of fluid intake at our house!!

 

[Ekatarina]

Water from my well is great
I drink few glasses of water a day
I drink Sam Adams occasionally
I drink juices like aloes
I drink teas with honey
I drink Vodka
I like my Shiraz too
I drink Italian coffee 2 x a day about

I dont feel dehydrated

 

[Weedygarden]

This is a great thread. I do know that many people do not drink enough water.

I use a wide mouth Ball canning jar (straight sides) with a special Ball screw on lid that has a hole for a straw for water. I was gifted some metal straws and I use them in these jars I actually have 4 of these set ups. It prevents dust and other debris from potentially getting into my beverages.

Daughter took some class and told me that drinking out of plastic is not good. She is opposed to having food in plastic as much as possible. I know that we have too much exposure to plastic, so I try to always use glass or ceramic drinking vessels. I never liked drinking from plastic. Something about it has always creeped me out.

I take one or two of my canning jar set ups with me when I house sit. I keep one on my nightstand and one on the table where I sit downstairs. I started doing this when daughter's cat would jump up and drink from my water glass. The jar holds 2 1/2 cups of water. I fill it up a couple times a day. I do have a couple large double sized cups that I use for coffee in the mornings, so I get two cups of coffee every day.

I know that I don't drink enough, even with having it right by me.

Did you know that being dehydrated makes you feel tired? Without enough fluids, we lose energy.

 

[Ekatarina]

My father always had a metal mug hang to a branch by the creek
at the farm it was a metal yellow mug he was drinking water in the creek
but water was very clear and cold from the mountain
I have the mug...I will take a photo of it
Nobody wanted it so I took it ...after my dad passed

 

[d_marsh]

Proper hydration was a big thing in the Army. I was told, repeatedly, that approx. 1/3 of the water we absorb comes from the food we eat versus drinking water directly. So food is just as important to hydration as water. We can drink lots of water but the body will only accept so much and then you just start peeing clear, which is not actually a good thing. This is why we were provided and purchased our own drink mixes that contained magnesium, potassium, sodium, etc. to improve hydration.

 

[Morgan101]

This always reminds me of an old saying. Seems like the recommended portion was 80 oz, per day. So "eighty ounces of water per day seems impossible, but six beers and six shots in three hours goes down like a fat kid on a seesaw."

I know I don't hydrate enough, and I have 2 liter bottles sitting around all over the place. I need to keep one handy, and keep track of my intake. Great reminder, Peanut. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bacpacker]

Just had a talk with my heart failure Dr yesterday about this. I currently take a diuretic to help keep fluid off me. I had quite a bit of swelling when I first got sick. So I ask, how much water should I be taking in. She wanted to know how much I drink and increases during activities, working in heat, etc.
Got me thinking, I generally drink 3 30oz cups of water most days, plus a glass of tea with supper, and maybe a glass of milk with breakfast. So 100 to 120oz. Maybe another 30oz cup of water if I'm outside working. She said that was good, but wouldn't suggest more than that in my case. And try to stay over 80oz