Be sure to get fluids, but remember calories

Summertime, and the livin' is thirsty.

OK, it's not summertime yet, but the official start is just a few weeks off, and we've already passed the unofficial one. And, well, there's the matter of the thermometer, which is steadily inching toward summertime levels.

So drink, drink, drink. But remember, when you do, those calories, calories, calories. And bear in mind that those calorie-laden drinks may not do much in the way of hydration.

"Drinking too much of the sugary-type drinks is going to add a lot of calories and not a lot of fluid," said Mary Wilson, a registered dietitian and extension nutrition specialist with Nevada Cooperative Extension. "You could use those calories for your food intake."

Does "sugary drinks" immediately bring soft drinks to mind? Don't forget that there are many others.

"We used to have a cup of coffee with whole milk and sugar, which might add 45 calories," Wilson said. "A coffee mocha is 350 calories. I don't think we think about that. We think we're just getting a cup of coffee, when in fact it's adding a lot of calories to our diet."

Coffee isn't the best choice anyway, because caffeine has dehydrating effects (as does alcohol), Wilson said. While it won't cause you to become dehydrated, she said, drinking a caffeinated drink doesn't lessen the need for water.

Fruit juices may seem like a virtuous choice but they can add a lot of calories; Wilson pointed out that cranberry-juice cocktail, ounce for ounce, contains more sugar than Coke. Other juices also are high in sugar. Wilson said that when she drinks orange juice, she dilutes it by half with water.

"And we make that recommendation with kids," she said. "A little bit of juice and a lot of water is a really good beverage for them. It takes the place of any kind of sports drink you need and it doesn't have the acidity of that."

But whenever possible, drink plain ol' water.

"Water is the number one best choice," Wilson said, "but sometimes we get a little tired of that. Choosing a seltzer water or a club soda is a good alternative. Mix that with a little fruit juice to give yourself some flavor." Lemon juice and Crystal Light are other flavoring alternatives, she said.

"Certainly for our hot climate, plenty of fluids in the summertime is important," Wilson said.

And remember: If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.