Summertime is always the best time of the year to enjoy being outdoors, whether it is going to the beach, ball games and parks, or doing other kinds of activities outside.
However, before we start enjoying summer, keep in mind the importance of staying properly hydrated.
Hydration is always important, especially in hot and humid weather, as we tend to lose a lot of our body fluids through sweat. The reason dehydration becomes a threat to our bodies is the fact that the body is made up of more than 60% water.
When the levels of body fluids decrease, our body is in great harm.
Hydration is essentially the replacement of body fluids, particularly water, lost through various processes like sweating, exhaling and waste elimination. Interestingly, the human body is made up of mostly water (on average 60%), so it is crucial that what is lost is replaced to keep the body functioning optimally.
Water plays a role in almost all bodily functions and is carried in almost every organ, with the brain and kidneys carrying the highest percentage of water and the teeth and bones carrying the least.
It is also responsible for protecting organs like the spinal cord, transportation of oxygen through the body, temperature regulation and lubrication of joints, to mention a few.
There’s a lot that requires the use of water in our bodies, explained Dr Sivuyile Madikana (Herbalife NAB Southern Africa).
With water being so important to our sustenance, we need to maintain a good balance between how much water we take in and how much leaves our bodies to prevent dehydration.
Therefore, we must be sure to drink more water than usual when fluid loss is severe. It is challenging to determine a recommended daily intake of water because of this.
According to Dr Madikana, several variables, such as age, sex, body fat/muscle percentages, and increased fluid losses due to disease processes, activity, and hot climate, among others, affect the daily requirements for hydration.
For example, during hotter days or when one exercises, water intake needs to be higher than usual.
Here are some tips on how to continuously maintain adequate hydration:
Carrying a water bottle for easy access.
Choosing water over sugar-sweetened beverages.
Choosing water when eating a meal out.
Adding a wedge of lemon to improve taste (also aids in the prevention of kidney stones).
Drinking water before and after exercise.
Older adults to not wait until the feeling of thirst to drink fluids as dehydration might have set in already by the time their sense of thirst is activated.
So how will you know you are drinking enough water?
You would be passing urine every few hours (on average 2-4 hours)
Your urine should be colourless or pale yellow.
You rarely feel thirsty.
Many different beverages and foods can be consumed to ensure proper hydration. Water isn’t the only thing that contributes to overall hydration. Foods with high water content and other beverages count, too.
Hydrating foods include:
Watermelon and other melons, tomatoes, cucumber, strawberries, bell peppers, celery, lettuce, cauliflower, star fruit and cantaloupe.
Foods to avoid include:
Alcohol and caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, teas and sodas. These beverages will place you at greater risk of dehydration because they pull fluids from your body.
Fruit juices should also be avoided because they can cause stomach issues due to the high sugar content, and if the person is already dehydrated, these beverages can worsen stomach discomfort, such as diarrhoea.
How will you know when your body lacks water?
“Well, the opposite of the above with a few more symptoms such as fatigue, dry mouth & tongue (can be white as well), feeling light-headed, joint and muscle pain, headaches, constipation and poor mental performance.
“In prolonged instances of poor water intake, sometimes urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and poor skin health can develop,” said Dr Madikana.
It is important to remember that there are many sources of water, including different foods such as fruits and vegetables, and all those sources contribute to your daily intake of water.
They do, however, carry smaller amounts of water and higher concentrations of other nutrients, such as glucose, so they should be consumed in moderation to complement and not supplement plain water intake.
