Important fluid tips and tricks to stay healthy and hydrated

(This week, I'd like to introduce a guest blogger, our bariatric nutritionist, Julie Parrott, who will share some of her best tricks to avoid dehydration during this long-winded heat wave we are experiencing. Thanks Julie!)

How do you drink enough fluid in this warm, humid weather if you don’t like the taste of water? One of our newbies (a patient who just had weight loss surgery) brought us a Hint during his pre-operative journey. You can always add “flavor” to water such as Crystal Light or Mio or a try a more natural approach such as a squeeze of orange, lemon or lime. There is a new beverage on the market named “hint”. We’ve tried this in the CJBoffice and think it tastes great, plus it just might be the answer for those of you who are looking for a hint of flavor in your bottled water without the added chemicals, preservatives, colors, etc.  Hint is currently available at Whole Foods, Super Stop & Shop of Raintree Plaza in Freehold  or Wegman stores in various flavors: blackberry, pear, watermelon, lime, cucumber, honeydew-hibiscus, raspberry-lime, strawberry-kiwi, mango-grapefruit and pomegranate-tangerine. 

How do you know if you are getting enough fluid?   You should be sure that you are urinating at least three times per day and the lighter yellow to clear – the better. Most people find the typical recommendation of 8 glasses ( 8 fluid oz) of water to be sufficient.  This will vary based on the length of time from your surgery (1 week versus 6 weeks or 6 months after your surgery), activity (minimal to walking, running or other vigorous type) and environment (are you in an air-conditioned/ cool office setting or working in a sweaty, fan-cooled warehouse). If you begin vigorous training (>60-90 minutes), please make sure you are sipping fluids before, during and after exercise.

Remember to stay cool with sips of refreshing, unsweetened essence of flavor and zero calorie water.