the research to back that belief,” said Justin Grego, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Safety director. Dr. Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth Medical School conducted a literature review to find the research behind the recommendation for eight ounces of water eight times per day. He never found it although he thinks he knows where the idea originated. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council has recommended “one milliliter of water for each calorie of food.” One ounce of water is about 30 milliliters. If a person consumed around 2,000 calories per day, their need would be about 67 ounces of water per day based on this recommendation. That’s pretty close to the 64-ounce recommendation made in eight glasses of water eight times per day. he Food and Nutrition Board has set Adequate Intakes (AI) for total water intake. Total water intake includes water from the food we eat, water in beverages and drinking water. For men ages 19 to 30, the AI is 3.7 liters which is the equivalent of about 15 cups. For women of the same age the AI is 2.7 liters or 11 cups. This turns out to be more than the eight cups we have always thought was the correct amount. “Keep in mind that AIs are figured based on actual average intake of men and women who may have been drinking more than they actually need. Your need may be more or less. Another important thing to remember is this includes fluid from all sources including food,” said Grego. If you always thought that the water in coffee, tea and soda didn’t count toward total fluid intake, you can rest assured that it does. The food we eat supplies about 20 percent of the fluid in a day. “The bottom line is that most people get enough water in the food and beverages they consume throughout the day. Just pay special attention on the hot days because having enough fluid in your body helps keep you cool,” said Grego. “And just because it’s getting cooler, don’t neglect keeping hydrated.”
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28 • Oklahoma Country • Fall 2008
alton Downing of Grove FFA topped the Livestock Judging Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee Sept. 12 at the State Fair of Oklahoma. He scored 538 points out of a possible 550 to win the senior FFA division. Downing was congratulated by OFB President Mike Spradling and YF&R Chair Natalie Leads.
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averick Squires of Cleveland County 4-H topped the 4-H division of the Livestock Judging Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee Sept. 12 at the State Fair of Oklahoma. He scored 533 points out of a possible 550 and was the second highest scorer in the contest. He is congratulated by YF&R Chair Natalie Leads and OFB President Mike Spradling.
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