I email blog posts to about 100 people, in addition to those who visit the blog page at https://fearfunandfiloz.blogspot.com/ Several responded yesterday with the comment that I should expect plenty of responses to the topic of dehydration. They were right. It wasn't a deluge but about a dozen responses came in. They ranged from "I carefully stay hydrated" to "I know it is important but not now."
The nurse practitioner stated that when thinking about my liquid intake, I should not count coffee, since it is a diuretic and gets me urinating. Prof. Heinz Valtin, a nephrologist (kidney expert), was quoted in our local paper years ago stating that coffee and tea do manage to hydrate the body. I realize that individual differences and factors always matter and one article I saw yesterday said that a person needs to drink five or more cups of coffee a day for the hydration effect to matter.
I have a tendency to call all mugs and containers "cups". I know that a "cup"measure refers to 8 fluid ounces. Yesterday, I measured my usual mug and it holds 14 oz. when I fill it to the usual spot. I also measured my water mug and it holds a pint, but again, I don't fill it to the rim. These figures say that I drink 5.6 cups of coffee a day but two days a week, I add a cup of Starbucks instant for the taste, foregoing my usual "cup" of green tea.
The matters of ounces and measures is only part of the story. I stay aware of how I feel and that includes judging and gauging in a subjective way. Today, about half an hour before each meal, I drank about a pint of water. My body tells my conscious mind that doing so feels fully great. This investigation will continue until I forget about it or get distracted or something else pops up.
You can see why Lynn says I am a nerd and an information addict.
