BBQs, outdoor concerts, and trips to the beach or neighborhood pool are common summertime activities. Staying hydrated is crucial when enjoying yourself outdoors. Your body cannot function correctly when it is dehydrated because it lacks sufficient hydration and electrolytes. Your body contains electrolytes, which include minerals like potassium, calcium, and salt. You can find them in the food and beverages you consume.
water. It is among the most crucial components for all living things. Water makes up up to 60% of an adult's body. Blood circulation, body temperature, metabolic reactions, and the transfer of waste products and nutrients throughout the body all depend on it. It protects critical organs and tissues, eases constipation, eases joint pain, and slows the heartbeat.
We risk becoming dehydrated if we don't have enough of it. Muscle cramps, exhaustion, thirst, and other unpleasant sensations could be signs of dehydration. Our ability to think and reason can be compromised. Kidney stones, moderate constipation, and lightheadedness are possible side effects.
Maintaining proper bodily functions requires drinking enough water each day. Warmer weather, physical activity, fever, diarrhea, or vomiting all increase your body's need for water. It's simple to forget to take those sips until you feel ill or to go about your day without considering how much water you've consumed. However, water is essential for keeping your body hydrated and healthy, particularly during the warmer months.
Given that between 50% and 70% of our body mass is composed of water, it is very crucial to stay hydrated during this intense heat. Water is essential for the efficient operation of cells, blood, muscles, tissues, and the brain. You may start to suffer from dehydration and heat exhaustion symptoms, such as headaches, weariness, cramping, low blood pressure, and even disorientation or unconsciousness, when you lose even 2% of your body mass of water through perspiration.
How Much Water Do You Need?
Doctors say there is no one-size-fits-all approach to drinking water every day. Your body, medical conditions, prescription drugs, and other factors all affect how much water you should drink each day. Even while some antidepressants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) may cause water retention, other conditions, such as thyroid issues or issues with the kidneys, liver, or heart, can also cause excessive water retention.
Adults and children do not need to drink a certain amount of plain water each day, however, there are basic recommendations for both sexes. It is generally recommended that women drink approximately 2.7 liters of water each day, while men should drink 3.7 liters. To one. Another way to figure out how much water you need each day is to divide your body weight in pounds by two. Either way, drinking water should be a daily habit rather than an extra chore.
How to Stay Hydrated
Drink water—and plenty of it!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend varied daily fluid intakes for different age groups, sexes, pregnant women, and nursing women. Drinking a glass of water before bed or a cup as soon as you wake up is the first step. Drink another glass after every meal. After working out, enjoy a cup or two. Throughout the day, take little amounts of water to prevent dehydration.
Know the signs of dehydration
Is your skin irritating, dry, sensitive, itchy, or inflamed? Dehydration is indicated by that. Do you feel worn out or dizzy, or do you have a headache? They are also signs. Additional symptoms include muscle cramps, rapid breathing, fainting, and the inability to pee (or very dark yellow urine). Avoiding the heat and drinking enough water are the simple solutions for any of these symptoms. Two small over-the-counter substitutes that balance electrolytes and salt while avoiding dehydration are Pedialyte and Hydralyte. Call 911 if you're very dehydrated.
Check your urine
The color of your urine is an excellent indicator of how hydrated you are. Darker pee suggests that you need more water, whereas pale urine, like straw, indicates that you are properly hydrated. You may have mild to severe dehydration if your skin is dark yellow or amber in color. Naturally, this could be impacted by other drugs and medical problems. Talk to your healthcare physician if you're worried about the color of your urine.
Avoid alcohol, sugary drinks, and/or caffeine
Some beverages really make you less hydrated! Coffee, sugary sodas, beer, wine, hard liquor, lemonade, sweet tea, energy drinks, smoothies, and flavored milk are among the beverages that are at fault. Their high content of sugar, salt, and other substances causes your tissues to lose water. Think about replacing some of these every day or rehydrating with additional water after each dehydrating beverage.
Cool down
Maintaining enough hydration involves more than simply drinking water; it also involves controlling your body temperature. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing in light colors during the summer, when the risk of heat stroke is highest; plan physically demanding sports and activities for cooler times of the day; shield yourself from the sun with hats and other shade-related accessories; take frequent breaks to drink; and mist yourself with a spray bottle if you start to feel too hot.
Eat foods with high water content
We get almost 80 percent of our water from drinking water. Did you know that? Twenty percent is derived from food. While water is included in all fruits and vegetables, the following are the best snacks to consume: cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, radishes, peppers, cauliflower, watermelon, spinach, strawberries, broccoli, and grapefruit. At least 90% of them are made of water.
Replenish when you sweat.
Do you exercise? Are you planning to hike? It's important to drink water when doing these things. You should take into account your perspiration rate, the humidity, and the duration of your workout. Consuming adequate water before, during, and following exercise is a sign of proper hydration. The following rules are advised by the American Council on Exercise before, during, and following physical activity:
2 to 3 hours before working out, consume 17 to 20 ounces of liquid.
Take an 8-ounce drink 20 to 30 minutes before working out.
When working out, drink 7–10 ounces every 10–20 minutes.
Thirty minutes or less after working out, consume eight ounces.
Choose water during flights
Dehydration can occur in airports and airplanes. During summer vacation, it's difficult to drink as much as you usually do, and the low humidity of airline air increases the likelihood of dehydration upon landing. Once you've cleared security, fill up your reusable water bottle with water after packing it in your carry-on bag. Instead of using the airport vending machines, request water when the beverage cart comes by in the middle of the flight.
Not a big fan of drinking water? Try adding a few easy items to your water to make it more interesting. Oranges, berries, cucumbers, lemons, mint, limes, and other fruits enhance the flavor without the use of artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Additionally, this can encourage you to drink more water than you often do. Another option is to try coconut water. Packed with potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium, this mineral-rich beverage rapidly restores electrolytes and fluids lost via exercise and hot weather.
Consider a probiotic
Both harmful and beneficial microorganisms live in our bodies. Our skin, stomach, and mouth all contain them. Yogurt, other cultured foods, and supplements include probiotics, which are live microorganisms that can aid your body's bacteria. By taking a probiotic, you can strengthen your defenses against illness, enhance your ability to digest and absorb food and nutrients, including water, and more. Probiotics also aid in the treatment of diarrhea and other dehydration-related disorders.
Bonus Tips for Summer Hydration
Prevent dehydration by drinking filtered water regularly. Thirst is a late sign of dehydration.
Hydration Objectives: Track your use of filtered water using applications to maintain your daily targets.
Smart Dressing: Wearing light, breathable clothing keeps you cool and minimizes water loss.
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