There is a lot to do when the weather is right: family picnics, going to the beach or lounging in your garden.
However, too much fun in the sun can be dangerous. Excessive heat exposure can cause dehydration.
Dehydration, in turn, can cause dangerous conditions, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which is also called sunstroke.
How do you know if you are at risk of dehydration? Signs of dehydration include headaches, dizziness, dry mouth, tiredness, occasionally nausea and low blood pressure.
Here are a few ways to stay hydrated during a heatwave.
Adequately hydrate before going outdoors
To prevent, rather than react to, excessive dehydration, make sure you are hydrated before going outside. This is a 24-hour preparation process that involves consuming fluids the entire day prior to when you will be outside for an extended period of time.
Just because you start your time outside adequately hydrated, doesn’t mean you are off the hook. You should continue to take in fluids during time spent outdoors.
If you are outside and find yourself without fluids, go inside, cool down and work to replenish fluids for another 24 hours to be adequately hydrated.
Avoid alcohol, sugary drinks and or caffeine
Tricky fact – some liquids work against hydration. Drinks like coffee, sugary sodas, beer, wine and hard liquor, lemonade, sweet tea, energy drinks, smoothies and flavoured milk are all culprits.
They are loaded with sugar, sodium, and other ingredients that remove water from your tissues.
Consider swopping some of these out daily or rehydrating with more water for each dehydrating drink you consume.
Don’t wait until you are thirsty
Stay ahead of your thirst by recognising your own feelings of thirst. Do not wait until you are thirsty to reach for a drink, sip water continuously during the day and when you wake up during the night.
Keep a bottle of water or a suitable alternative on you during the day.
Eat hydrating foods
Any food or drink that has fluid in it will be hydrating, and fresh fruits and vegetables hit the mark. They contain a high percentage of water and other nutrients like fibre which will benefit your health.
Watermelons, peaches, berries, grapes and oranges are all great candidates. Juicy produce like cucumbers, celery and olives are also full of fluid.
Meals that are liquid-based, like soups or porridges, can also help you stay hydrated. Ice pops, slushies and sorbets can be fun and tasty ways to get some fluid in your system, while also providing refreshing relief in the heat.
Add calorie-free flavouring
If you are not a fan of consuming water, try fruit or vegetable infusions in your water to make it more appealing.
Prepare a jug in the refrigerator to infuse overnight to make filling your water bottle in the morning easier.