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Stumble #5: Water shortage

Solution: choose high-water-weight foods

It’s a well-known mantra: Drink eight glasses of water every day to stay healthy and hydrated. But who really hits that goal?

According to Johns Hopkins professor of medicine Lawrence Appel, MD, the answer is to eat or drink when you’re thirsty. Appel, who chaired a panel for the National Academies Institute of Medicine’s 2005 report on daily water intake, says, “Drinking water is a frequent choice for hydration, but you can also get water from juice, milk, coffee, tea, fruits and vegetables.”

You can determine whether you need to adjust fluid intake by how you feel, where and how you live and other concrete health indicators. For instance, if you are tired or constipated, drink more fluids or eat foods high in water content, such as watermelon, spinach, tomatoes and broth. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, as well as athletes and people living in warmer climates and at high altitudes, all need to consume more fluids than the general population.

You can tell you aren’t getting enough water if your urine appears dark, you feel dizzy or lightheaded or you aren’t thinking clearly. When you feel hungry, drink a glass of water first because you may just be thirsty. Keep a refillable water bottle with you all day. And of course, drink before and after a workout.