Monday's Health Tip: Getting Back to (Water) Basics

Nothing beats summer in New England like a hazy, hot, and humid 90 degree day. Considering we haven't had much of a summer this year with all the rain and unseasonably-cool temperatures, I'm actually excited for this muggy, summer-like change. However, it's days like these that hydration plays a major role in your health and overall well-being. For a liquid that constitutes two-thirds of your body weight, you might want to consider taking it a little more seriously. I know you've probably heard it all before- drink 8 glasses of water a day. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Etc, etc, etc. I personally have always been horrible about drinking water, and I attribute a lot of the headaches that I suffer from to chronic dehydration. It's not fun. I ran across a great article from Active.com about the basics of hydration. I urge you all to read it, and take note. There are a lot of myths out there about hydration and drinking water, and you might be surprised to find out that staying hydrated isn't as hard as you might think. For all you athletes out there, I also urge you to read this article that talks about sweat rates. It has some simple and easy tips to measure whether or not you are staying properly hydrated. I can't stress enough how important and vital water is to your health. So to all you New Englanders (and the rest of the country), enjoy these dog days of summer, and stay healthy with a tall, refreshing glass of crisp, cool, and delicious water!