As the temperature gradually increases during the summer months, it’s important to always stay hydrated. When the weather heats up during the summer, you can become dehydrated more quickly, even if you feel like you’re drinking enough water. With a little planning on how to stay hydrated, you can enjoy a safe and healthy summer full of all your favorite outdoor activities.
If you feel tired, irritable or dizzy after being outdoors or in a hot room, dehydration could be the culprit.
Here are 5 tips to stay hydrated this summer:
- Drink water – probably the most important and most well-known tip is to drink water and plenty of it! Be sure to drink more than the usual amount of water when in the summer heat and schedule regular water breaks.
- Eat foods with high water content – to go along with tip #1, eating foods with high water content can help increase your water intake. Fruits are great for this especially watermelon, apples, strawberries and oranges. Fruit can also help you avoid additives found in juice. (This does not apply to dried fruit.)
- Be aware of how much you sweat – sweat is the body’s way of cooling itself; the more you sweat the more fluids your body will need to replenish. So, if you’re sweating a bit more than normal, consume more water.
- Cool down – Proper hydration isn’t just about drinking water, it’s about regulating your body temperature, too. Common ways of keeping cool is to wear light, loose-fitting clothing in light colors; protect yourself from the sun with hats and other shade accessories; and mist yourself with a spray bottle if you become overheated.
- Salty snacks – You might think you should avoid salty food when it’s hot. But actually, snacking on a few peanuts or pretzels in the sun can help to keep you hydrated.
Reach out to Our Family Direct Primary Care for all your health care needs and/or concerns.