Summer heat is back. Here's how to elevate hydration for the whole family

Adding fresh fruit, protein powder and even salt to your water glass or bottle may help you stay hydrated longer.

Adding fresh fruit, protein powder and even salt to your water glass or bottle may help you stay hydrated longer.

IT’S THE TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN WE TO TURN UP THE HEAT AND GET OUTSIDE TO ENJOY THAT WARMER WEATHER, WHICH MEANS NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO THINK ABOUT KEEPING YOUR FAMILY SAFE AND STAYING HYDRATED. WLWT SIZE MEREDITH STUTZ WENT STRAIGHT TO A LOCAL DIETITIAN AND HAS SOME VERY IMPORTANT TIPS. YOU AS WE HEAD INTO OUR SUMMER MEREDITH. HEY, GOOD MORNING. YES, BECAUSE THESE TIPS I NEED THEM AS WELL. I HAVE STRUGGLED FOR YEARS WITH STAYING HYDRATED. BUT YOU GET THE POINT WHERE YOU’VE GOT TO STOP GIVING YOURSELF EXCUSES AND GET TO WORK BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP MIND. IT’S NOT ALWAYS JUST ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU DRINK, BUT WHAT YOU DRINK. EVEN THIS MORNING, BECAUSE WATER ISN’T ALWAYS THE MOST EFFICIENT LIQUID WHEN IT COMES TO STAYING HYDRATED. I SPOKE WITH A REGISTERED DIETITIAN IN HYDE PARK WHO SAID THERE WAYS TO GET MUCH MORE OUT OF YOUR TYPICAL BOTTLE OF WATER. SHE SAYS COMBINING FRESH FRUITS LIKE BERRIES, MAYBE ADDING A SIMPLE PROTEIN POWDER ALSO CAN HELP YOUR BODY RETAIN HYDRATION BEFORE YOU GO AND DO SOMETHING ACTIVE. GOING FOR A RUN OR DOING YARD WORK. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THINGS LIKE ADDING PINK SEA SALT, MAPLE SIRUP AND LEMON JUICE ARE ALL EASY ADDITIVES FOR NATURAL HYDRATION. AND KEEP IN MIND, IF YOU’RE STARTING DAY NOW, THAT MEANS STARTING IT MORE POTENTIALLY WITH JUST A CUP OF COFFEE COFFEE. WE KNOW THAT CAFFEINE, A DIURETIC, WHICH MEANS IT MAKES LOSE LIQUID. SO FOR EVERY CUP OF REGULAR COFFEE THAT YOU’RE DRINKING, YOU’RE LOSING TWO CUPS OF WATER. SO YOU NEED TO YOU NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AND HYDRATE. YOU CAN HAVE COFFEE, BUT THEN YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL TWO CUPS OF LIQUIDS GOING IN ON. YOUR COFFEE WILL NOT COUNT FOR YOUR HYDRATION. I KNOW MAYBE A COUPLE OF YOU HEARD THAT GO, OH, THAT’S ME HAVING MORNING COFFEE RIGHT NOW. JUST MADE ME GRAB THAT OF WATER BEFORE YOU CARRY ON TODAY. SO A FEW MORE TIPS. AT MINIMUM, YOU SHOULD DRINK HALF OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT AND OUNCES. SO FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE A LOOK. IF YOU WEIGH 150 POUNDS, YOU’LL NEED AT LEAST 75 OUNCES AT MINIMUM. AND THE MORE ACTIVE YOU ARE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMERTIME MONTHS, THE MORE LIQUIDS, LIQUIDS THAT YOU’LL NEED TO STAY HYDRATED. AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU FEEL THIRSTY. THAT MEANS YOU’

Summer heat is back. Here's how to elevate hydration for the whole family

Adding fresh fruit, protein powder and even salt to your water glass or bottle may help you stay hydrated longer.

With warmer temperatures returning, most people may be reaching for a water bottle more often to help them stay hydrated. But there's more to hydration than just drinking water. Our sister station WLWT spoke with Registered Dietitian Preeti Bansal Kshirsagar. She operates Integrative Nutrition and Healing in Cincinnati, Ohio, which helps people better understand and implement specific nutritional habits.When it comes to hydration, Bansal Kshirsagar says both adults and children need to drink a minimum of half their body weight in ounces. For example, if someone weighs 150 pounds, they need to drink 75 ounces at the minimum. If someone is active, they need to drink even more.Bansal Kshirsagar says if someone is feeling thirsty, then that person is already dehydrated."Your body's already telling you 'I am running low on hydration,'" Bansal Kshirsagar said. "Work proactively on it. Fill up your water bottles, fill up your Mason jars. I love using Mason jars and adding vegetables to them like cucumbers or berries." Bansal Kshirsagar said people can also add protein powder, salt, fruit juice and maple syrup to their water to help people absorb nutrients and electrolytes and stay hydrated longer. People can also seek out certain seltzers and fruit drinks, but Bansal Kshirsagar stresses people need to watch sugar levels."So people think that hydration just means how much water we are putting into our body. Right. But there is a big second piece on retaining that hydration in our system and not just losing it," Bansal Kshirsagar said. For more information and tips, check out the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

CINCINNATI —

With warmer temperatures returning, most people may be reaching for a water bottle more often to help them stay hydrated. But there's more to hydration than just drinking water.

Our sister station WLWT spoke with Registered Dietitian Preeti Bansal Kshirsagar. She operates in Cincinnati, Ohio, which helps people better understand and implement specific nutritional habits.

When it comes to hydration, Bansal Kshirsagar says both adults and children need to drink a minimum of half their body weight in ounces. For example, if someone weighs 150 pounds, they need to drink 75 ounces at the minimum. If someone is active, they need to drink even more.

Bansal Kshirsagar says if someone is feeling thirsty, then that person is already dehydrated.

"Your body's already telling you 'I am running low on hydration,'" Bansal Kshirsagar said. "Work proactively on it. Fill up your water bottles, fill up your Mason jars. I love using Mason jars and adding vegetables to them like cucumbers or berries."

Bansal Kshirsagar said people can also add protein powder, salt, fruit juice and maple syrup to their water to help people absorb nutrients and electrolytes and stay hydrated longer. People can also seek out certain seltzers and fruit drinks, but Bansal Kshirsagar stresses people need to watch sugar levels.

"So people think that hydration just means how much water we are putting into our body. Right. But there is a big second piece on retaining that hydration in our system and not just losing it," Bansal Kshirsagar said.

For more information and tips, check out the .

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