There is such an astute difference in the amount of water people drank one hundred years ago and even fifty years ago compared to today that it is mind boggling. Why is it that people are ingesting so many more ounces of water than in the past? My elderly father claims that he only drank one cup of coffee a day and no other liquids all his life. Today, he must force himself to drink water so as not to become dehydrated as elderly people can easily become. Then they end up becoming disoriented and can end up in the emergency room.

Why are Folks Drinking So Much More Water Today Than Their Ancestors?

1: For starters, the rest room facilities a hundred years ago were not so available, and people hesitated to go to their outhouses on freezing cold days, especially in Europe. My Mom and Dad went to visit the family that hid my father during the Holocaust in the Ukraine. My Mom was a pretty good sport when she wrote me a letter on toilet paper that she received in the hotel that she stayed in first. When they slept over for one night at the saviors’ home, (that was more than enough) my mom had to visit the outhouse in the dead of winter in the middle of the night. So of course, it made sense that people should not over drink their water. In the “olden days” water that came from a pump needed to be used not just for drinking but for washing clothes and the people as well.

2: Although people were active if they were farmers and market goers, they did not just exercise for the purpose of keeping fit. Today, whether it’s summer or winter, people are looking for ways to burn up sweat and that of course causes the person to be thirsty and have a water bottle nearby. Some active individuals can drink as much as two gallons a day to keep their bodies hydrated.

3: The medical community now knows that water keeps the body and mind hydrated. People are told by their doctors to drink at least four glasses of water a day and some say eight. Folks who are on weight loss diets are given a regiment with a total amount of water to consume that could be staggering especially if they will not be near a restroom.

How Much Water Should Babies Drink?

While an infant is on formula or being breast fed it is not necessary to add water to their diet until about six months. Formerly, doctors would recommend sugar water for constipation in infants although now sugar water does not seem to be as common as a laxative in babies under six months. Starting water earlier can dilute the nutritious effects of the formula and breast milk which can lead to an imbalance of electrolytes (if a baby has a stomach virus and is vomiting or having diarrhea Pedialyte is usually recommended to replace the electrolytes that were lost).

Once a baby starts eating solids, water can be safely added to their diet (It must be bottled water, not tap.) When babies begin solids such as bananas and rice cereal there is a chance that they will become constipated and introducing water to their diets helps to alleviate and even prevent constipation. After six months of age parents should begin acclimating their babies to drinking water either from a bottle or a sippy cup. At this stage they can be drinking between four and eight ounces of water per day in addition to their formula or breast milk feedings. Doctors advise that a practical way to increase a baby’s intake of water is to add one cup for each birthday. For example, at two years of age a typical baby should drink two cups of water each day.

In the summer months it is vital that toddlers drink enough water to keep them from getting dehydrated. Long stroller naps in the sun or at the pool can cause the baby to become dehydrated. Signs of possible dehydration include wrinkly skin, less bowel movements, less than six wet diapers a day, sleepiness when awake, and hands and feet feeling cool to the touch even though the weather is warm.

What About Teens and Kids?

Teens and children should be drinking between six and eight cups of water per day. This age group will not necessarily realize that they are on the verge of dehydration and when you ask one of them to have a drink of water, they may say they are not thirsty. Yet, if they have the following signs they could be on the verge of dehydration, and no one wants to wait for the child to pass out before realizing what the problem is.

The symptoms of children and teen dehydration include rapid pulse, sticky mouth (or the tongue feeling as if it sticks to the top of the mouth), dark urine with sporadic urination. It’s challenging to get young children to stop playing to go to the bathroom but if they tell you or you notice dark urine immediately hydrate them. You may just catch their lack of water before they actually need to be rushed to the hospital.

Adults’ Water Consumption

Some of us are quite active either walking, running or doing strenuous exercise. There are various large cups with lids to measure your intake, but a regular water bottle is still the simplest way go, and the portion size is clearly stated on the bottle’s label. According to the Institute of Medicine:

1: Men should drink about three liters or thirteen cups of water each day while the recommendation for women is nine cups or about two liters each day. Variable lifestyles such as excessive exercisers or runners, mothers who are breastfeeding (twelve cups) and pregnant women (ten cups per day) will determine the right amount for you.

2: Fruit such as watermelon and vegetables that are filled with water also help to fill the daily requirements of water. Try not to put too much salt on the vegetables because salt can decrease the effectiveness of the vegetable’s water content.

3: People are confused as to the advantages of drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee. Coffee increases the need to urinate (just ask any long-distance truck driver). Yet coffee cannot be counted towards the daily water count.

4: People who exercise enjoy adding sports drinks to their daily diet. It’s true that these drinks contain such nutrients such as potassium, electrolytes and calcium but they will add sugar or artificial sweeteners to the diet. For extreme athletes they are beneficial but for the average person stick to water to get hydrated.

5: Some people find it hard to drink water. Some hacks are adding natural flavors such as fresh lemon or lime juice, mint leaves or sliced cucumbers, drinking room temperature water and sucking on ice cubes. Unfortunately, ice cubes fall short on the mark for the number of ounces suggested for adult water consumption.

Can Water Bottles be Stored Safely in the Car?

Instead of keeping a case of spring water bottles in your trunk, keep a case indoors by your front door or whichever door you generally leave the house from. Quality water company bottles are made without those chemicals that the cheaper bottles have. There are chemical bonds that are contained in typical water bottles that break down in high heat. The FDA claims that these are too tiny to cause health problems. However, it’s fine if you leave one bottle in the car every so often but avoid keeping the case in the trunk. Just as you would not leave other perishable groceries in the car long term, treat your water bottles the same way. Try to dispose of your used water bottle and avoid reusing it.

Final Words

In the 1960’s there was a popular phrase, the generation gap, that explained why teens and young adults should not trust anyone over thirty. This policy that the younger generation owned the world has teetered down to the next generation where children are not respecting their elders properly. This is a topic for a different article but the reason I am touching it is because there is a serious generation gap between seniors and the next generation when it comes to water consumption and disposable water bottles. I doubt anyone will remember jelly jars used for glasses, but you can get the idea that not only is the older generation perplexed about throwing away a bottle after one use, but they cannot fathom paying for water when you can get it free from the tap.

An effective way of showing the elderly why it is so important to use bottled water would be by testing the tap water themselves. There are labs that do it or home kits that will show you the impurities in the home’s tap water. Besides the dilemma of seniors who don’t want to pay for bottled water, they are in danger of becoming dehydrated and ending up in the hospital emergency room for an infusion. So too we must remind our children and teens to make sure to drink enough water even in cold weather. Water is a resource that G-d has given us, let’s use it properly and wisely.