How Much Water Should Your Dad Really Drink?

 December 4, 2019

People think of summer as a time when dehydration is a risk. The risk is there year-round. In the winter, drier air fills homes as heating systems run. Each breath you take expels some of your body’s moisture, but the air you’re breathing may not replace that moisture if the air is dry. It’s important to make sure your dad is drinking enough.

 

Men Should Drink 3.7 Liters

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine say that men should take in 3.7 liters of water each day. Not all of that has to be in the beverages your dad drinks. The foods he eats accounts for around 20 percent of that water. That’s about 3 cups of water that your dad will get from foods. The remaining 13.5 cups (almost 3.2 liters) should come from his beverages.

 

Watch What He Drinks

Alcoholic beverages are not as hydrating as water or unsweetened beverages. Your dad cannot count on beers or wine for hydration. He needs to focus on water, seltzer, unsweetened tea, and coffee for hydration.

Ideally, he wants to get the bulk of his water from plain water. If he cannot stand water on its own, a slice of lemon, lime, or orange may help. If he’s more likely to drink seltzer, you can save a lot of money over time purchasing a machine like a Sodastream and getting the flavoring drops to let him create his own flavor combinations.

 

Choose Foods That Are High in Moisture

Melon, cucumber, celery, kiwi, and citrus fruits are high in water content. For breakfast, serve your dad some melon cubes to boost his water intake. At lunch and dinner, make him a salad that has plenty of vegetables that have a lot of moisture. A salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, and red pepper strips will help increase his water intake.

If your dad likes his sweets, don’t keep him from having a small dessert. Change what he has. Use a food processor to turn frozen strawberries or raspberries and bananas into a homemade sorbet that doesn’t contain added sugar. Make baked apples that contain a filling of nuts, oats, and honey instead of brown sugar. Top that baked apple with frothed milk or yogurt.

 

Make sure your dad isn’t putting himself at risk of dehydration. With elderly care services, there’s a caregiver around as often as is needed to make sure your dad is drinking, eating, and caring for himself. If there are tasks he struggles to remember to do or can’t do on his own, the caregiver who stops by will help him. Call an elderly care agency to make arrangements.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Edgewood, PA, please contact the caring staff at In-Home Quality Care today. Serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area since 1990! Call 412-421-5202

 

Sources:
Mayoclinic.org