Floridians! 10 Tips to Keep Your Body Hydrated!
Rain, thunderstorm, and lightning are the weather types that hit your mind when talking about Florida. April, May, and the summer months are the peak periods for tornadoes, whereas hurricane season runs from June to November.
But that does not mean that the sun never shines in Florida. In fact, Florida is famous for its nickname that is, the “Sunshine State.” Therefore, summers throughout the state are long, very warm, and fairly humid.
For this reason, it is quite important to keep yourself hydrated during outdoor activities, particularly when the weather is humid and hot. What happens is that heat in the human body is regulated through sweat, and since the human body comprises of 60% water, the decrease in fluid levels causes dehydration that is harmful to us.
For Floridians, who face excess heat, here are 10 simple yet amazing tips to keep your body hydrated.
- Drink plenty of water
There is no doubt that drinking lots of water is the best therapy to keep your body hydrated. A person should at least drink eight glasses of water in a day. But there are some people who get thirsty so often and require more water. So it’s always okay to have more glasses of water as there is no harm!
- Increase the intake of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and veggies are the best and richest sources of both water and electrolytes. They not only provide your body with nutrition, minerals, and energy but also aid your body in hydration. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables will help you perform more efficiently. You may also use them as a pre-workout snack!
- Go for healthy substitutes of sports drinks
Our body contains electrolytes that are the minerals required for different purposes, such as catalyzation of chemical reactions, regulation of water in the body, and contraction of muscles. Although sports drinks provide energy and restore the lost electrolytes, they contain artificial sugar. Hence, coconut water or homemade drinks are a better alternative.
- Keep a check on the color of your urine
When dehydration occurs, the urine passed out is often dark yellow in color and too smelly. It may also be cloudy in appearance. In order to avoid this, it is better to take fluids that rehydrate your body. Keep urine strips or charts to determine how dehydrated you are.
- Take fluids when having a dry mouth
When you need water, you feel thirsty and have a dry mouth. A dry mouth indicates that you need to take more water or juices to restore your system of its water content gently. So always keep a bottle of water or any drink that you like the most to refill your body.
- Drink before you eat!
Although foods do provide some water for hydration, it can’t replace water and other fluids. Only a glass of water can fulfill your needs. Drinking water 30 minutes before a meal will help identify how hungry you are. It also prevents you from over-eating.
- Drink water before, during, and after a workout
When we exercise, we lose weight. With the immediate loss of weight, the valuable amount of water is also decreased. Drinking water before, during, and after the workout is suggested to prevent water loss in the future.
- Keep your pockets full of nuts
For long hours of outdoor activity, keep nuts or dry fruits with you. They contain a sufficient amount of potassium, protein, sodium, carbs, and calories. These are such minerals that produce glutathione that keep your skin hydrated and fresh. But do not leave water!
- Avoid alcohol
Avoiding alcohol the day before or after long periods of sun exposure is crucial. This is because alcohol removes fluids from the blood through our renal system, which means through kidneys, uterus, and bladder faster than other liquids. So if you do not stop the consumption of alcohol, you can become dehydrated quickly.
- Taking a break every hour is important!
In Florida, where the sun shines too bright, you need to take a break after every hour. Resting in a shade helps your body to recover from the extreme heat. Find an umbrella, patio, restaurant, or a tree and take some rest. This is crucial even when you do not feel exhausted and dehydrated.
So keeping yourself hydrated requires a lot of effort. It is something more than just picking up a bottle full of water and drinking plenty of it. Although it looks boring and tasteless, at South Florida Cardiovascular Specialists, the treatment and benefits are just amazing. Drinking plenty of water every day not only keeps your body hydrated and moisturized but also brings a natural glow and freshness to your skin.
Water is an essential nutrient that many people ignore or show carelessness in their intake. Food isn’t the only source of nutrients. The richest source is water. It is true that you can survive without food for days, but not even hours without water.
In Florida, summer is surely the best time to enjoy festivals, going on a beach and hanging out together with friends, but as temperatures rise, so does the risk of becoming dehydrated. And dehydration can lead to many other health problems too. They include headaches, swollen feet, heat-stroke (that is life-threatening), dizziness, rapid heartbeat, feeling lethargic or confused, and not passing urine for eight hours.
So the condition can get worse. Therefore, it is better to take precautions than facing these health problems. Also, keep in mind that mild dehydration can be treated by drinking lots of water or juices. To put it differently, you can stay hydrated by improving your diet. But if it continues, the consequences can be severe.
Thus, to save yourself from that condition, you must take extra care of yourself. Always carry a bottle of water when heading out. And if you miss drinking water, set a reminder on your phone that will remind you to drink water. For the best results, be extra careful about yourself!
