The blazing heat of summer is upon us! Do you drink enough water? Dehydration can be a major health concern during this time. It’s important to drink as much as you can throughout the day to stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, increased blood pressure, and other serious health complications. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t enjoy drinking water or needs a few tips on how to stay on top of your hydration, follow our Wellness Wednesday tips on how to beat the heat one drink at a time.
Listen to Your Thirst
If you’re thirsty, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be dehydrated. It means you are ALREADY dehydrated. By the time you feel thirsty, it’s too late. Thirst is a warning sign that you need to rehydrate ASAP. This is why it’s important to drink throughout the day to keep yourself properly hydrated. It’s especially important to drink plenty of water before and after a workout or if you’re going to be outside on a hot day for an extended period of time, as you will sweat more during these times and will need to refuel quickly. It’s also important to hydrate during cold weather; we often think we don’t need to hydrate as much when it’s cold outside, but the opposite is true.
Eat Your Water
Another way to supplement your hydration is to eat water-rich foods. Fruits, vegetables, and some dairy products can be (pardon the pun) fruitful sources of hydration. A fruit-heavy diet is NOT a replacement for drinking water, but it can help you make up the difference if you’re a couple of glasses short of your daily intake.
- Citrus fruits
- Watermelon
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
- Celery
- Milk
- Plain yogurt
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Peaches
- Bell peppers
- Tomatoes
- Coconuts
The opposite is also true: there are certain types of foods that can dehydrate you and put you in a thirst deficit. Be careful about eating foods that are high in sugars and low in nutritional content. Fruits can be high in sugar but they usually have more than enough good stuff in them to balance that out. You also want to be careful about consuming alcohol, as alcohol can rapidly dehydrate you. If you plan to drink, be sure to hydrate throughout your fun night out to keep yourself hydrated.
Tea Time
One of the best alternatives to drinking water is tea. Tea can hydrate you while offering other benefits like the relaxing balm of chamomile or green tea’s energizing caffeine. Teas also tend to be high in antioxidants, which can confer additional health benefits.
Some Like It Hot
This is a counter-intuitive tip but it holds true: if you want to cool down in hot weather, drink something hot. That’s because our body’s internal temperature adjusts in response to what we consume. When we drink something cold or take a cold shower, our body temperature heats up to warm us from this sudden influx of cold. This is also true for hot drinks- our body regulates itself into a cooler temperature to balance out the hot coffee or tea you just drank.
Article by Austin Brietta
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