As the summer peaks and the mercury soars, people generally avoid going out in the sweltering heat. After all,who likes being drenched in trickling sweat!
When outdoors, we typically pay a lot of attention to our hydration (or water) requirements. But that’s because our dripping sweat reminds us of the body’s water loss. In our air-conditioned comfort zones, though, with no perspiration or physically-tiring tasks, do we really bother to check our water intake? An important fact we usually overlook is that, though not physically active all the time, our cells remain active 24×7 and require ample water for efficient performance.
Going by popular perception, one needs to drink water periodically when performing intense physical workouts or if exposed for prolonged periods to the sun. Not quite the complete truth… Actually, at all times, water is essential. Surprising as it seems, our bodies lose water even while breathing. That’s besides regular reasons like sweating, digesting and excreting. Clearly, it’s critical to keep replacing water loss by drinking more of it.
Early warning signs during dehydration include dizziness, headache, confusion, vomiting, low blood pressure, weakness or dark-yellow urine. What’s more, just a 7% fall in the body’s water percentage can cause collapse.
Having highlighted the importance of hydration, let’s tackle the problem of staying well-hydrated – the feeling of being bloated and making periodic sprints to the washroom! The big question then: how do we boost water intake while controlling swollen bladders and recurring washroom visits?
Relax! Here are the top-four hydration tips:
1. Creating a water calendar: Guzzling liters of water quickly is a strict No-No. That isn’t the best way to hydrate. Water intake during the day needs to be regulated so it’s best to have a hydrating calendar. Drink your first glass of water on waking up. The morning downer can work wonders for your body. Later, keep drinking a glass of water at periodic intervals.
2. Munching and hydrating: Downing gallons of water and not noticing any change (except the repeated bathroom sprints!) can be utterly demotivating. Worry not, there’s good news! Barely 70–80% of our daily hydration needs are met by water. Believe it or not, the balance actually comes from food! Most fruits and vegetables hold some quantity of water. The water champions: cucumber 97% water; celery 96%; tomatoes 95%; red, yellow, green bell peppers 93%; and watermelon 92%.
3. Enjoying Nature’s bounty, the coconut: Apart from offering mineral-rich water, coconuts come power-packed with magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium. The sweet coconut water works wonderfully well in replacing our body’s fluid-and-electrolyte loss from hot summers or tiring exercise regimens.
4. Adding flavours to water: Flavouring our drinking water is slowly gaining popularity. Fancy water-bottles containing an inner tube filled with fruits and veggies – such as lemons, strawberries, cucumbers, etc. – offer a refreshing spa-like beverage, without the sugar.
With these smart hydration tips, here’s wishing you stay well-hydrated this summer!
- July 20, 2020
- Alkaline water
