KTK-Nutrition

At long last, summer is around the corner.   With summer heat comes hydration issues.   How can you stay hydrated this summer?   What beverages are best for hydration?   How do you know when you are getting dehydrated?   What are the health benefits of water? Many people don’t know water is a nutrient and has many important functions in our bodies.    The Mayo Clinic notes that every cell in our body needs water in order to work properly.   According to CDC , water helps your body in many ways: Water helps keep your temperature normal – so important on hot, humid days. Water helps lubricate and cushion your joints – important in summer when we are biking, walking, hiking, golfing, playing tennis – exercise that uses our joints day in and day out. And perspiration is water – sweating on a hot day means you are losing water and need to replenish it. Why do we need more water in summer? Hot days – when we are outside in hot weather, we s...

Who hasn’t heard the recommendation that we all should drink 8 glasses of water a day?   Yes, drinking water is good for our health.   Water is actually a nutrient we need every day.   How much water?   The Institute of Medicine recommends women consume about 91 ounces of water a day (about 11.3 cups) from food and beverages and men consume 125 ounces a day (about 15.6 cups) from food and beverages.   Thus, not just water counts but all liquids like coffee, milk, tea, juice and the many foods that contribute water.    Many people don’t think of foods as hydrating, but foods like watermelon are up to 90% water so do contribute water to our daily needs.   In fact, the Institute of Medicine notes , “About 80 percent of people’s total water comes from drinking water and beverages – including caffeinated beverages- and the other 20 percent is derived from food.”   Thus, the Institute doesn’t recommend hydration in terms of the number of glasses ...

Most people have heard about drinking 8 glasses of water a day.   Why?   One reason is to stay hydrated.   And it is important to stay hydrated as it helps regulate your body temperature, prevent headaches and muscle fatigue, helps your brain.   But most people also think to stay hydrated you have to drink plain water or drinks like seltzer water or sports drinks like Gatorade.   But what about tea or coffee drinkers?   Are these drinks hydrating or dehydrating you? A common myth is that coffee or tea dehydrate you.   And to some extent caffeine can be mildly dehydrating.   This means caffeine can act as a mild diuretic flushing out water along with sodium.    So, does drinking tea or coffee with its caffeine lead to dehydrating you? According to Dr. Daniel Vigil of the University of California Los Angeles the answer isn’t what you may think.   “When you drink a cup of coffee or you drink a glass of iced tea, you are nece...

Who doesn’t want healthy, glowing skin that isn’t dry and flaky?   And, is there a way to halt some of the signs of aging?   Well, a number of foods have nutrients and substances like antioxidants that can promote healthier skin.   A recent article in Environmental Nutrition, Eat Your Way to Better Skin , highlights some foods you may want to consider adding to your day.   WebMD also offers some guidance on, Foods for Healthy Supple Skin .   What are some of their suggestions?             1.   Add vitamin A to your day – not only should you eat carrots for better vision, but also for healthier skin.   Since summer is here, vitamin A also helps protect the skin from damage from sun exposure     .   Who wants skin that is dry or flaky?   Vitamin A foods help prevent this.   So add some foods rich in vitamin A.   A good way to choose foods high in vitamin A are to look for fo...