Hydration – A Doable Step To Beat The Heat

Water forms the basic foundation of life.

While in some organisms, up to 90% of their body weight comes from water, in a human adult, water makes up to 60-65%, i.e. about 2/3 of the total body weight.

What Does Water Do For You?

Every cell in our body is full of water. From regulating body temperature to helping produce various secretions to aid in the processes of respiration, digestion, absorption, excretion of waste, reproduction, lubricating our joints, and acting as a shock absorber for brain and spinal cord, water is involved in nearly every bodily function.

Being the universal solvent, it not only helps transport valuable nutrients and oxygen to our cells, but also, within each and every cell it helps dissolve these nutrients, minerals, and chemicals to carry out various biological processes.

What Is Hydration?

Hydration is replacing the body fluids lost in sweat, exhalation, and elimination of waste.

The use of the term “hydration” has become rampant due to the sweltering heat this summer across the country. With temperatures soaring, the need to keep ourselves hydrated becomes multifold in order to prevent heat-related illnesses (heat exhaustion and heat stroke). They happen when the body is not able to cool itself properly by just sweating and the rise in temperature is substantially higher than the rate of cooling.

Why Do We Need To Hydrate?

Whether you’re exercising, forgot to drink water, or are sweating a lot in the scorching summer heat, you’re losing water. If you don’t replenish the water you lose, it could cause you dehydration – a condition that occurs when the body loses water/fluids more than it needs to work normally.

Signs Of Dehydration

The moment your body fluid level dips, it signals this vital fluid loss either through the changed color of your urine or via other physical symptoms, telling you to replenish the lost amount.

Urine colors to worry about:

Dark yellow
Orange
Amber
Pee chart depicting your hydration levels

Little to no urine is also a sign of dehydration.

Depending upon the percentage of fluid loss, other physical symptoms include:

Symptoms of fluid loss in % of body weight

Dry mouth
Fatigue
Overwhelming sleepiness
Headache
Extreme thirst
Confusion
Dizziness
In children, one may notice no tears when crying

You are at a greater risk of dehydration:

If you have kidney stones or a bladder infection
If you’re sick with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhoea
In pregnant or nursing women
In older adults
If you are an athlete or are involved in vigorous physical activity
Obesity, alcohol consumption, and certain prescription drugs are high-risk factors too

Ways To Maintain Adequate Hydration In This Sweltering Heat

Our body needs adequate fluids/hydration to function. Although eating regular meals with sufficient water intake is enough to maintain water and electrolyte balance, here are a few quick ways to combat dehydration and rebalance your body in this torrid heat:

Drink water

Drinking water is most often the best and cheapest way to stay hydrated and rehydrate.

Unlike many other beverages, water contains no added sugars or calories, making it ideal to drink throughout the day or specifically when you need to rehydrate, such as after a workout.

A variety of factors, including genetics, cause some people to lose more sodium via their sweat than others. You might be a “salty sweater” if you get frequent muscle cramps with exercise or if your sweat stings your eyes. If such is the case with you, make sure to replace not just the fluid you lose through sweat but also the sodium, particularly after intense or long bouts of exercise in hot environments.

Drink 1 cup (8 ounces) of water every 15–20 minutes. This translates to 24–32 ounces per hour. Drinking at shorter intervals is more effective than drinking large amounts infrequently. Do not drink more than 48 oz per hour!

2. Eat “water-rich” fruits and vegetables

Deep-fried, rich or energy-dense foods don’t resonate with the summer season! Snack on the seasonal water-rich fruits and vegetables like melons, berries, grapefruit, mangoes, peaches, cantaloupe, celery, carrot, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, tomato, and gourds like pumpkin, cucumber, or zucchini. Due to their high water content (comprising 80–99%), both in fresh and frozen form, they make for a perfect hydrating snack/food. (For comparison, highly processed foods like cookies, crackers, cereals, and chips contain only 1–9% water.)

You can consume them as refreshing salads, or broth-based cold soups or keep them cubed or scooped in the refrigerator for handy access. Ice-creams and popsicles made out of fresh fruit at home are a summer delight.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, and in some cases, even more. It can take days or weeks before fresh fruits and vegetables make it to your plate. During that time, oxidation can cause nutrient loss. On the other hand, frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen shortly after harvesting, which retains most of their nutrients.

3. Make the most of local summer drinks such as buttermilk, thandaai, coconut water, nimbu paani, aam panna, bel ka sharbat and the like to avoid dehydration.

4. Drink iced tea or coffee (Caffeine-free is always a better option).

While not as rehydrating as water, moderate amounts of coffee and tea can help you stay hydrated. Plus, their caffeine content may give you an energy boost. Caffeine becomes dehydrating only in doses around 250–300 mg, the equivalent of 2-3 cups of coffee/5-8 cups of tea.

5. Milk

Skim and low-fat milk can be used as an effective post-workout or general rehydration beverage if you don’t have lactose intolerance or a milk protein allergy. Smoothies, typically made with water or a liquid base, such as almond milk or coconut water, and milkshakes of mango or strawberry are a great way to stay hydrated.

6. Sports drinks

Sports drinks contain water, electrolytes, and other ingredients. A few of these drinks can be as effective as water at helping you rehydrate or stay hydrated in hot weather or during intense exercise. Besides, if you like the taste, you may also be inclined to drink more.

Most sports drinks are high in calories, added sugars or artificial sweeteners, which may add hundreds of extra calories to your diet.

Energy drinks may also contain much more caffeine than a standard serving of coffee, tea, or soft drinks, thus drinking several energy drinks a day can raise your caffeine levels enough to affect your heart, esp. when added to the strain placed on your body by heat.

7. Oral rehydration solutions (ORS)

Oral hydration solutions contain water, electrolytes (sodium, chloride, and potassium), and sugar – typically in the form of dextrose. Some commercial solutions also contain other ingredients like prebiotics and zinc. Although these specialized formula-based solutions are used to prevent and treat dehydration caused by diarrhoea or vomiting, they have also been promoted to bolster exercise recovery and prevent or treat hangovers.

You can DIY your own simple rehydration solution at home using these common kitchen ingredients:

1 liter of water + 6 teaspoons of sugar + 1/2 teaspoon of salt

8. Focus on fluid replacement.

Severe dehydration may need hospitalisation, where IV or intravenous fluids might be injected under medical supervision.

Dos and Don’ts Suggested By IMD This Summer To Beat The Heat

Although the India Meteorological Department advises people to stay indoors as much to avoid heat exposure, the weather forecasting agency has listed the following precautions and directions in case it is unavoidable –

Dos

Hydrate yourself with sufficient water.
Try to wear cotton, light-colored, and lightweight sweat-absorbent clothes.
Use an umbrella, hat, sunglasses, and a cloth to protect your skin and eyes from the sun glare.
Wear sunscreen with a good SPF before you head outside.
Take care of the elderly and children.

Don’ts