6 WAYS TO STAY HYDRATED
The famous painter Leonardo Da Vinci was speaking the cold truth when he said that “water is the driving force of nature.” Water is life, and as humans, water plays an extremely vital role in our well being considering that approximately over 60% of our body is made up of this ‘clearly’ important liquid. Water is a major component of every cell, tissue and organ in the human body. It helps to regulate temperature, transports oxygen and nutrients through the blood and helps get rid of waste and toxins in the body. Water is also essential for digestion and the absorption of food. Additionally, it helps to lubricate joints and keeps our skin looking soft and supple (quite a nice bonus if you ask me).
Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. Some of the symptoms associated with dehydration are extreme thirst, fatigue, dizziness, dry skin, headaches, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, and in extreme cases unconsciousness.
With all that being said, the summer is most definitely upon us, which means it’s sunny, hot and humid and with that comes excessive perspiration and an easier loss of body fluids and electrolytes. So, my friends, there is no better time than now to have a look at some tips that will keep you hydrated all summer long.
Blood is 92% water, brain and muscles are 75% water and bones are 22% water.
1) DRINK WATER CONSISTENTLY
Sip. Sip. Carry a bottle of water with you at all times, taking small sips throughout the day. If you chug too much water at once, your body doesn’t actually absorb most of it. In fact, you only hang on to about 1/2 or 1/3 of the extra water you drink. Most of it will be excreted through your kidneys and into your urine.
Using a hydration app can help give you a friendly reminder of when to drink water as well as track how much water you have consumed in a day.
2) EAT HYDRATING FRUITS & VEGGIES
Eating your way to hydration is an excellent way to get the moisture back in your body. It is still important to drink plenty of water but you can aid the hydration process by consuming fruits and vegetables that are over 90% water by weight. Cucumbers have a 97.7% water weight and have the highest water content of any solid food. Rich in vitamin C, Watermelons put the water in melons so it’s only understandable that at 92% water weight it proves to be a great option for summer hydration. Celery (95.4% water content) is a wonderful option as it can act as an electrolyte, replenishing sodium, potassium, magnesium levels in the body. Other hydrating foods include strawberries, broccoli, green peppers and lettuce.
3) MINIMIZE ALCOHOL
Even though there might be nothing more enjoyable than sipping on a nice sangria on a hot summer day, alcohol is quite dehydrating for the body and should be consumed at a bare minimum. Alcohol decreases the body’s production of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which results in your body losing more fluid than normal through increased urination. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can also lead to vomiting, which depletes the body of fluids and can lead to further dehydration.
4) FLAVOR & SAVOUR
Let’s keep it real for a second! Water is odorless, tasteless and quite frankly not all that appetizing. You might be feeling discouraged to drink water because of this and are deeply yearning for a little flava’ in your life. Adding vitamin-packed lemon/lime, mint, a slice of cucumber or infused mashed berries into your water can make your water drinking experience a lot more tasty and enjoyable. You can also add a drop of rose water, orange blossom, or a herbal fruit infused tea bag to your water for added flavor.
5) MONITOR YOUR URINE
No, urine is the not the window to your soul, but it sure is the window to your hydration levels. That’s why I always encourage you to look back at it to get a sense of how your kidneys are operating and whether you need to address your hydration levels. Ideally, urine should be a pale yellow straw color, indicating a state of optimal hydration. The darker the color is, the more concentrated the urine is and the more dehydrated you are likely to be.
6) ELECTROLYTE IT UP
It’s getting hot out there and with that comes a lot more sweating. When we perspire we do not sweat pure water. Instead, human sweat contains electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and trace elements like copper, zinc and iron. Eating foods high in electrolytes like banana, strawberries, avocado, celery, and drinking coconut water can help to replenish these lost electrolytes naturally. Adding a pinch of Himalayan sea salt to your food can help you retain fluid in the body as salt is the most depleted electrolyte during the perspiration process.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK?
You have probably heard the good old advice of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. I find this to be too general as your daily recommended fluid intake depends on a lot of variables including body weight, climate (dry/hot/humid) and activity levels. Nonetheless, as a rough idea, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends around 3 liters (12 cups) of fluid each day for men. For women, the suggested daily recommended fluid intake is a little over 2 liters (nine cups) to be consumed throughout the day.
& Wellness Coach
One thought on “6 Ways To Stay Hydrated This Summer”
very interesting
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