Summer heat is back. Here's how to elevate hydration for the whole family

Adding fresh fruit, protein powder and even salt to your water glass or bottle may help you stay hydrated longer.

Adding fresh fruit, protein powder and even salt to your water glass or bottle may help you stay hydrated longer.

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Adding fresh fruit, protein powder and even salt to your water glass or bottle may help you stay hydrated longer.

With warmer temperatures returning, most people may be reaching for a water bottle more often to help them stay hydrated. But there's more to hydration than just drinking water.

Our sister station WLWT spoke with Registered Dietitian Preeti Bansal Kshirsagar. She operates Integrative Nutrition and Healing in Cincinnati, Ohio, which helps people better understand and implement specific nutritional habits.

When it comes to hydration, Bansal Kshirsagar says both adults and children need to drink a minimum of half their body weight in ounces. For example, if someone weighs 150 pounds, they need to drink 75 ounces at the minimum. If someone is active, they need to drink even more.

Bansal Kshirsagar says if someone is feeling thirsty, then that person is already dehydrated.

"Your body's already telling you 'I am running low on hydration,'" Bansal Kshirsagar said. "Work proactively on it. Fill up your water bottles, fill up your Mason jars. I love using Mason jars and adding vegetables to them like cucumbers or berries."

Bansal Kshirsagar said people can also add protein powder, salt, fruit juice and maple syrup to their water to help people absorb nutrients and electrolytes and stay hydrated longer. People can also seek out certain seltzers and fruit drinks, but Bansal Kshirsagar stresses people need to watch sugar levels.

"So people think that hydration just means how much water we are putting into our body. Right. But there is a big second piece on retaining that hydration in our system and not just losing it," Bansal Kshirsagar said.

For more information and tips, check out the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.