Tag Archive | "hydration"

Water for Seniors: Should I Drink More?

Water for Seniors: Should I Drink More?

When considering the amount of water for seniors, should I drink more is a question that is often asked. Caregivers and seniors should be aware that people over the age of eighty-five are particularly susceptible to dehydration, but seniors as young as sixty should watch their water intake carefully, while still knowing how much water they should be drinking. Drinking more water has recently been associated with several benefits to the elderly, including more energy and life enjoyment.

How much do I need?

When considering water for seniors, should I drink more is a somewhat tricky question. Most people associate the need to drink water with thirst, but the reality is that the elderly may have difficulty distinguishing hunger from thirst. As a person ages, the ability to differentiate between these two sensations decreases and makes it more difficult to tell whether a person needs water or food.

Lowered activity

In general, the average person needs eight ounces of water for every twenty pounds of body weight per day. This recommendation has led to the recommendation that most people drink six to eight glasses of water per day. Seniors have the added difficult of experiencing less thirst when their activities decrease, but the amount of water needed is the same no matter how much you do in a day.

Getting more water

Another issue that the elderly may not know about is that you may actually become less thirsty when drinking too little water. Finding a simple solution to including more water in your day is the best way to increase the consumption of water for seniors. Should I drink more water is often best answered with an yes when you consider the health benefits of water, specifically the elderly.

Health benefits of water for seniors

The health benefits of drinking an ample amount of water can be found among both men and women over the age of sixty. When thinking about water for seniors, should I drink more is an important question to ask if you or an elderly patient experiences low energy, frequent urinary tract infections or other physical ailments that could be related to dehydration. Another benefit is using water to prevent disease. Evidence has proven time and time again that nothing beats drinking enough water. For seniors, should I drink more water can be a good question to ask to identify whether or not there is enough water in the diet.

Drinking more

The biggest difficulty in consuming water for seniors is whether or not there is enough thirst to consume the needed amount on a daily basis while also consuming enough calories. Aging and reduced appetite often have an impact on the ability to drink enough water during the day.

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Coco Water: the Benefits of Coconut Water

Coco Water: the Benefits of Coconut Water

Coco Water: The Water of Life

The coconut tree is known as the Tree of Life in many tropical countries, since it provides so many useful byproducts. Its leaves and wood are used for wicker and wood crafts, and its fruit is a major part of the diet in these countries. One of its important beneficial products is the coconut water contained within the shell of the coconut tree fruit. This coco water has the health benefits of water and even more, due to its numerous naturally occurring nutrients.

Coco Water: Nutritional Information

A 240ml (1 cup) serving of coco water has only 46 calories. It provides an abundance of minerals, including calcium (58mg), magnesium (60mg), phosphorus (48mg), and potassium (600mg). It is also rich in vitamins like Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Thiamin. In addition, a single serving of coco water has 3 grams of fiber, which can aid in digestion and promoting a healthy heart.

Re-hydrate with Coco Water

Coco water is an ideal drink for hydrating the body during exercise or as an everyday drink. It has the perfect mix of electrolytes, which is a good match for human blood plasma. It also has only a fraction of the sugar of the typical sports drink. In addition, coconut water can be beneficial to children to help treat upset stomach, and it is a much more palatable drink than typical bottled electrolytic drinks. Coco water is also ideal to treat diarrhea, since it provides electrolytes without a lot of sugar to feed the virus or bacteria causing it.

Treat High Blood Pressure with Coco Water

Studies have shown that consumption of coconut water can help reduce high blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. A study by Alleyne, et al, reported that 71% of individuals undergoing therapy with coconut water showed significant decreases in systolic pressures. It is believed that the balanced mix of electrolytes is important for the human body to regulate blood pressure. Stated differently, it is the imbalance of sodium in high salt diets today that may be the causal factor in blood pressure. Treat the imbalance with coco water and you can fix or reduce the problem.

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Water For Yoga

Water For Yoga

There are several reasons why you should be drinking water for yoga. An array of yoga types, classes, settings and environments can greatly affect the hydration levels within exercisers, making the consumption of water before, during and after an imperative aspect to successful practice and improvement. Fatigue, lack of coordination and cramping muscles can all be conditions that resulting from dehydration, affecting the actual success of yoga poses and what the body can detract from the practice. According to the IDEA Association of Health and Fitness Professionals, an entire liter is lost from merely breathing and perspiring, which highlights the importance of staying hydrating no matter what exercise is being completed.

Water for Yoga: Bikram Yoga

Within particular types of yoga, like Bikram yoga, hydration can be especially imperative because of the excessive loss of moisture in the body due to increased levels of perspiration. With a heat of 90-100 degrees maintained within the room where Bikram, also known as Hot Yoga, is completed, participants performing a series of poses within the class can expect to lose high levels of moisture within the body. Because of high levels of perspiration that occurs during Bikram yoga, it is very important that exercisers stay hydrated prior to arriving and especially following completion.

Water for Yoga: Other Types Of Yoga

Though not all types of yoga will produce the perspiration that accompanies Bikram yoga, participants can expect to sweat throughout their workout, increasing the need for hydration to aid the performance of various muscles used, the activity of the mind while switching from diverse poses and to help the body during the recovery process following exercise.

Water for Yoga: Acceptable Liquids to Consume

Caffeinated beverages, sodas and other sugary drinks can be dehydrating in contrast to the healthy hydration sought by yogi’s. In fact, for every cup of caffeinated beverage consumed, an equal glass of water should match it in order to promote true hydration and counteract the dehydrating properties of caffeine. Insuring a diet is accompanied by adequate levels of water can help flexibility performance by contributing to muscle and limb mobility, which, as a result, help improve performance and improvement in a yoga class and various poses. In addition, the proper hydration levels that come with water consumption can aid in relaxation, a very important aspect in yoga.

The National Athletic Association recommends that exercisers drink a healthy 17-20 ounces before working out. Weighing oneself prior to completing yoga and after in order to uncover the amount of water that should be drunk in order to replenish lost moisture, the association adds.

Drink Water for Yoga Before Exercising

While insuring the body is properly hydrated in a healthy manner prior to a yoga workout is important to insure the highest level of performance, it is also important not to over-do consumption. Drinking too much water right before attending a yoga class or completing poses elsewhere can result in difficulty moving smoothly and changing poses with the ease required. To stay hydrated, one must in advance consider drinking water for yoga.

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