Sunscreen – CHECK!
Sunglasses – CHECK!
Quality Water – MAYBE?
You protect your skin and your eyes from the summer sun, but do you protect your body with quality water?
We’ve all heard that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. However, studies show that youth only drink an average of 15-ounces of water per day and adults drink an average of 39-ounces. This is well below the 64-ounces recommended*.
During the summer months, your water consumption needs to be half of your body weight* in ounces of water, for example:
Your weight = 180 pounds
Drink 90-ounces of water (3 liters) daily
Approximately 3 more 8-ounce glasses of water each day!
Your mood, energy levels, sleep and cognitive function can all drop if you are dehydrated. Your body is about 60% water. If you lose even 1.5%, your body becomes dehydrated and you begin to feel some of these side effects. Especially during the summer months, the sun and additional outdoor activity can increase your body’s use of water and speed up the opportunity for dehydration.
BUT, not all water is the same. Did you know that the quality of your water can also increase your chances of dehydration? If you have hard water, you have an increased chance of being dehydrated. Hard water contains high amounts of calcium and magnesium ions. Studies show there may be a relation between hard water and the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems*.
Too much calcium may cause a person to urinate more often. In addition, magnesium can provide a laxative effect. Therefore hard water can lead to dehydration.
You can enjoy the summer and stay hydrated with water treatment solutions including a water softener and/or a reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration system. The installation of water treatment equipment in your home will also save you money (not to mention the environment) versus buying several dozen water bottles this summer.
Contact North Carolina Water Consultants for more information on quality water treatment for your home. Enjoy your summer!
*SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; International Journey of Preventative Medicine.