Immune Supporting Foods: Fluids
Staying hydrated is essential to maintaining health. Water helps regulate body temperature, acts as a medium for metabolic reactions, maintains blood volume, and transports nutrients, among other roles. All of these functions ultimately aid in supporting the body’s function and ability to facilitate immune responses when required. When we are dehydrated, the body is not efficient in removing toxins or waste.
A general guideline is to consume half your body weight in water. For example, a 140 lb person should drink ~70 oz of water, about 9 cups. Intake should increase if there is a greater loss, such as sweating in hot and humid conditions or intense exercise. Urine color is an excellent indicator of hydration. It should be a lemonade, pale yellow color.
Many people find it challenging to hydrate throughout the day. Staying hydrated is not as hard as some may believe. Water intake is cumulative meaning to reach your daily goal water in foods, tea, milk, 100% fruit juice, etc. all count.
Fun & Easy Ideas To Stay Hydrated
- Flavor water with strawberries, cucumbers, lemon, or mint
- Try a new tea
- Get a water bottle with lines that indicate ounces or motivating sayings such as keep drinking, almost there, time for a refill
- Track your water intake on an app such as MyFitnessPal or Fitbit
- Eat food with high water content (watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, strawberries, oranges)
- Increase dairy intake (skim milk is 91% water and yogurt is 88% water)
- Try seltzer water for some added carbonation
- Challenge your friends, family, or coworkers- who can meet their goal at least five days a week?
For more information on achieving wellness this season, check out our tips here.