Preparing for your blood donation - with water

Avoid alcohol, soda or drinks with caffeine. Several people who donate regularly say that drinking lots of grape juice helps makes the blood move more quickly. Having a fair amount of sugar in your blood will also make it easier for your blood sugar to stay level during and after donation.
Eating water-rich foods can help keep you hydrated as well. The top five foods recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics are:
- Crisp Lettuce (96 percent water)
- Watermelon (91 percent water)
- Grapefruit (90 percent water)
- Broccoli (89 percent water)
- Low Fat Milk and Yogurt (89 percent and 85 percent water respectively)
The next blood drives at Upstate take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17 and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 in Café 750 on the second floor of Upstate University Hospital in downtown Syracuse. Then, blood drives will be held noon to 6 pm. Wednesday, Nov. 6 and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 in classrooms A and B on the Upstate University Hospital Community Campus.
To schedule an appointment, contact Brenda Poehlman at 315-464-5738 or poehlmab@upstate.edu.