Consuming water is necessary to keep the body’s systems functioning properly and muscles healthy. This is especially important to remember during the summer months when we need to increase our fluid intake to counteract warmer temperatures and higher humidity. In this edition of b4life health, we will discuss the strategies for staying hydrated, how to recognize the signs of dehydration, and recommendations for staying well hydrated
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Tips for staying hydrated
Hydration is vital to our overall health and wellbeing.
In addition to helping the body function properly, water helps regulate body temperature, flush out waste, help the body’s performance mentally and physically
The following tips can help you stay hydrated:
- Drink six to eight glasses of water each day and keeping an eye on electrolytes. This is a general recommendation that will change based on age, chronic conditions, and activity level, so check with your health professional for the specific amount that’s right for you.
- Bring a reusable water bottle to work and drink from it throughout the day, refilling as needed.
- Not a huge fan of drinking plain water? Consider flavoring it with slices of citrus fruit or a splash of 100% fruit juice. Or, experiment with the water’s temperature see whether you like it better cold from the fridge, chilled over ice, or at room temperature.
Know the signs
If you feel thirsty, your body needs fluids. It’s a good idea to listen to your body and drink water throughout the day to avoid dehydration. Watch for these signs of mild dehydration:
- Feeling thirsty
- Headache or lightheadedness
- Fatigue or sleepiness (for children, being less active than usual)
- Less frequent urination or decreased urine output
- Dark yellow or amber
- Constipation
- Few or no tears when crying
- For infants, no wet diapers for three hours
Try these tips
- When exercising in the summer heat, it’s especially important to stay hydrated. You need to consume water and electrolytes to replace the fluids lost during physical activity. The amount of water and electrolytes needed will differ from person to person, depending on body size, sweat production, climate, and the type and intensity of exercise performed.
- A good rule of thumb is to drink water before, during,and after exercise.
- If you think your not drinking enough then try this weigh yourself before you start your activity and to re-weigh yourself after, for each kg lost is a liter of water.
- During summer, you may need to drink more fluids to stay properly hydrated. Not sure how much water you’re drinking, or whether you’re drinking enough? Now is the perfect time to begin tracking your water intake.
A fun, hydrating beverage:
Cucumber Lime Refresher Serve this thirst quenching drink at your next gathering!
Ingredients:
- 1 pitcher of water
- 1 cucumber, sliced thinly
- The juice of 4-5 limes
Directions:
- Add lime juice and cucumber slices to the pitcher of water. Stir to mix well. Refrigerate to chill or serve over ice.
- Drink up!
Electrolytes are minerals that are found in body tissues and blood in the form of dissolved salts. As electrically charged particles, electrolytes help move nutrients into and wastes out of the body’s cells, maintain a healthy water balance, and help stabilise the body’s acid/base (pH) level
