Williefindum here,
With the dog days of summer here, everyone is saying drink plenty of water. "How much is plenty?"
As a chiropractor and a student of nutrition, I offer this advice, Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day, (i.e. If you weigh 200# then you need 100 oz of water per day.) I can hear it now "100 oz????" yea and that is every day not just the day you are going fishing. (100 oz is 5-20 oz or 6-16 oz bottles per day) And no, coffee, juices, soft drinks and sports drinks do not count. In fact, any drink with caffeine is a diuretic and will dehydrate you. Beer is also a diuretic. Sugar in any form (i.e. high fructose corn syrup)is very hard on the liver, pancreas and adrenal glands and may make you less heat tolerant. Sports drinks contain too much sugar and too little electrolytes to do much good. Unless you are an elite athlete, your need for electrolyte replacement is very low and should be handled through your food intake. Diet or sugar free soft drinks have their own set of problems.
It may take as long as two weeks, drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day, to become fully hydrated. Besides the obvious benefits regarding heat related accidents, being fully hydrated may help with weight management, constipation, muscle cramps, skin tone, brain function and other health issues.
Take care of the most important machine you own, you would not do less for your vehicle, boat or tackle.
For any chiropractic or nutrition related questions, you may contact me at: drbillhowell@sbcglobal.net

Thats good to know! Thanks. Just hated to hear the part about the beer! LOL

Well, I weigh 190/2=95/16=5.94 (6 16 Oz bottles of water) per day right?
Ditto on the beer.

I actually heard something interesting on the radio yesterday. I heard you "CAN NOT" drink to much water when your out in summer (atleast in Texas). You lose so much water, that if you drink at a normal human pace, you cannot drink to much.

I thought that was interesting. There have been times I have almost thrown up at football practice (a few years ago =)) because I drank waaaaaay to much in the heat

Hmmmm chum!

haha, that reminds me off some off shore trips I've taken. There is nothign better than someone hurling and watching there chum. Actually, its quite disgusting!

Good stuff. I'm gonna try and put it into action. If I read this right, I don't think I've been fully hydrated since 1971. How have I been living?

I went from 12 pak diet DP to over a gal. koolaid with splenda a day will that work?

I've lost 30#'s in the last 8 weeks just by cutting out cokes, Gatorade, sugar, bread and potatoes

I feel 100 times better, stay in the heat all day long, sleep better and quit snoring.

I drink 90% water except for some unsweetened tea.

I'm a believer now.

Congratulations Jerry. Does that mean no more fried chicken stories. Aint no trip to millwood without Paul's stories

LOL DominicK

Good Luck The Sixteenth.
Do you think Ratmo would mind if we kidnapped George

I drink about 64 oz of Gatorade when I go out fishing for an evening. Thats like drinking 62 ounces of water and them eating 2 ounces of sugar artificial flavor and color! I think I'm good.
Im only 5'5" 135lbs.

Brain function whats dat

30lbs, now we will be able to see what Paul is doing in de boat,

I gotta drink more...

WillieFindum here,
Congrats Jerry on the weight, I haven't done that well on weight but my tolerance for the heat has shot up.

f. Clyde, most of us haven't been hydrated for along time. The body is a marvelous design and will take a lot of abuse. Also it may take 6 weeks to see a diff in heat tolerance but could be shorter.

opus, thats an improvement but you might want to try brewing up some green tea (the longer it is steep the stronger)and for a sweetener a product called "Stevia" from the health food store.

R. Rat, without the "2 ounces of sugar artificial flavor and color" you might be 5'5" 135# and get to go fishing in the day time LOL but then that is just a thought.

In 1900 the average American consumed 10# of sugar per year, in 2000 the average American consumed 180# of sugar per year. And we wonder why diabetes has become an epidemic in this country.