•
Health
Water Is Critical
To Good Health
JACK WILLIAMS
Special To The Jewish News
ach of us, for the most part,
is a body of water. Sixty per-
cent water, at least.
And because muscle is
about 75 percent water by weight, the
leaner the body, the greater its liquidity.
But relying on thirst to satisfy our
water needs is about as effective as rely-
ing on hunger to get down those rec-
L1 ommended five servings of fruit and •
/— vegetables a day.
So what to do in the name of
drought prevention?
Design a water plan, a rehydrating
regimen that puts drinking water on the
same daily agenda with feeding the dog
and brushing the teeth.
It may be the only way to provide
the 64 ounces of fluid - or eight 8-
ounce glasses of water - that is the aver-
• age person's any minimum require-
ment.
(OK, soups and other non-alcoholic
or non-caffeinated fluids can count
toward the .crucial 64. In fact, fruits and
vegetables are up to 80 percent water by
weight. But plain water is the body's
first choice, the best means of replacing
fluid, of lubricating joints and of
: ,removing waste products from the
(— body.)
"On average, Americans' total fluid
consumption is 75 percent of what is
N needed," said dietitian and fitness con-
(' sultans Susan Kleiner, who has a doctor-
ate in nutrition from Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine.
"I know people who don't drink
water all day. They're the ones whose
\ _performances at work drops off," she
said.
"They won't drink with food because
they say its too filling and they ignore
the symptoms of dehydration, like dry
mouth or a headache.
"Once they start drinking water, they
notice a huge difference in the way they
feel. And they see the difference in the
skin, because water is crucial to the
,_ -integrity of skin cells."
Kleiner, who disdains the chemicals
in soft drinks, makes sure she consumes
10 glasses of water a day to fuel a sched-
ule that includes caring for two chil-
dren, ages 5 years and 4 months.
"A good way to go about proper
hydration," she said, "is to have two B-
ounce glasses when you rise in the
morning. Have another at midmorning,
,—)then something with lunch.
"Have a couple glasses at midafter-
Jack Williams writes for Copley News
Service.
noon, another glass with dinner. And
add one more somewhere else during
the day or evening.
"For every caffeinated or alcoholic
beverage you consume, add another 8
ounces of water, because caffeine and
alcohol are dehydrating."
Kleiner, who lives in Seattle and
includes many athletes among her
clients, has found that the thirst mecha-
nism seems to function better the more
water we drink.
"It's a conditioned response," she
said. "When you pay attention to your
thirst, you'll drink more and you'll rec-
ognize the signs of thirst.
"Most people who get those symp-
toms - fatigue, a slight headache, lethar-
gy - may think they need another cup
of coffee."
Research shows that we don't drink
enough water for the same reason we
don't bombard our bodies with wheat
grass, celery and cauliflower: taste.
But despite such flavor-challenged
elements as chlorine, water doesn't have
to taste like medicine.
Filtration can reduce the taste and
color of chlorine and sulfur as well as
other bad flavors in tap water.
Brita Water Filtration Systems of
Oakland, Calif, for example, sells a 64-
ounce pitcher that not only contains
your daily minimal requirement but fil-
ters out 98 percent of lead and 92 per-
cent of copper while reducing the chlo-
rine content.
The result: a more pure, palatable
taste devoid of contaminants.
The Brita line of products ranges
from $19.99 for a half-gallon container
to $39.99 for a filter with a 2-gallon
capacity.
But while filtration and flavor may
address part of the hydration issue,
water temperature is another. For some
of us, the colder the better. Toting
around a water container in a gym at
room temperature isn't the most appeal-
ing option.
"One trick I use to get athletes to
drink more water," Kleiner said, "is to
have them stick several water bottles in
their freezer at night. Then as the water
melts the next day, which happens fairly
quickly, they are drinking cold water."
The body hydrates itself more quick-
ly with cool water, as opposed to room
temperature or ice cold.
Whatever your taste preferences
when it comes to water, the American
College of Sports Medicine offers these
guidelines:
• Water is the beverage of choice
during any activity of an hour or less.
• For activities exceeding an hour,
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10/3
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