How To Stay Hydrated In Summer

Summer can be draining in more ways than one. With the rising temperatures, it’s important to stay hydrated as much as you can. Kavita Devgan, nutritionist and author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People, tells us how to stay hydrated in summer.

It’s important to know how to stay hydrated in summer, especially for senior citizens. Water is an important nutrient. Our body uses water as well as expends it and if we fail to replenish these losses, we set ourselves up to become dehydrated. During summer it is easy to get dehydrated without even realizing, so it is important to make up for the extra fluid one is losing.

One early sign of dehydration is feeling light-headed upon standing up. Another is passing dark-yellow, highly concentrated urine. If you’re drinking enough fluids, your urine should be almost colourless. Dry lips and tongue, headache, extreme fatigue, nausea and muscle cramps are some more telltale signs.

Take water breaks throughout the day; always carry a water bottle when travelling; have a glass of water, tea or juice with meals. Remember – your thirst may not keep up with your need for fluids so play it safe by drinking as much water, iced herbal tea and juice as you can stomach.

Also stay away from sugary fruit drinks and caffeinated sodas as they actually dehydrate your body and can make you feel worse.

Have fruit or herb infused water to stay hydrated

Eat something: Food not only provides water, but also holds more of the water in your system longer. There are several types of foods that hydrate the body – broths and soups; pudding and gelatin desserts; ice cream and yoghurt; fruits such as watermelon, muskmelon and apples; vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and carrots; and milk and juices.

If you don’t like plain water, then flavour it with fruits or herbs like saunf, mint and dhaniya, among others.

Fresh coconut water: Make this natural drink your best friend in the summer as besides hydrating it is also loaded with essential minerals that help the body maintain its electrolyte balance.

Drink right: Include coconut water, bael ka sharbat, kokam squash and aam panna in your diet. These will give you the necessary electrolytes required to maintain the fluids in your body. Sattu sherbet is also a good idea. Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols and is good to keep blood pressure and blood sugar stable – always have it with a vitamin C rich source though. So add the juice of a lemon or sweet lime (mosambi) or even an amla to it.

Carrot juice helps improve blood circulation along with regulating your blood pressure levels. Add two tablespoons of honey to a glass of carrot juice and have 2-3 times a week. A cup of raw beetroot juice twice daily also helps. It is in fact one of the best home remedies for stabilizing low blood pressure.

You can always depend on ginger. It contains plant chemicals such as gingerol, shogaol, and zingerone, which help prevent fluctuations in the levels of blood pressure. So a cup of ginger tea is always a good idea. Best to begin your day with it.

A strong cup of aniseed (saunf) tea is also a good idea as it’s a good source of essential B vitamins – like riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, and pyridoxine, and the link between deficiency of B vitamins and low blood-pressure is clear and proven.

These age old remedies also work well for seniors in the summer

Chew five to six tulsi leaves every morning. Tulsi leaves have high levels of potassium, magnesium and vitamin C, which can help in regulating your blood pressure. Tulsi leaves act as mood stabilizers too.

In addition, you can soak 3-4 raisins or munaka overnight and then boil them with milk and have in the morning or even at night before going to sleep. This helps increase circulation.