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With Summer just around the corner, we’re looking forward to waving goodbye to our Winter parkas and heater and saying hello to delicious days lounging outdoors, swimming in beaches and warm temperatures. During the warmer months, it’s more important than ever to stay quenched as we’re at greater risk of losing fluids and becoming dehydrated. Here are our top tips to keep hydrated and cool this hot summer season.
How do you know if you're dehydrated?
Dehydration is when you’re losing more fluid than you’re taking in. Even slight dehydration can have a significant impact, and studies have found even 2% dehydration can reduce endurance exercise, cognitive performance, motivation, and energy levels. There are a few signs and symptoms to look out for that can indicate dehydration such as dark-coloured urine, dry and cracked lips, feelings of thirst, headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps.
How much water should you drink a day?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal number on how much water you should drink. Several factors, such as your gender, height, muscle mass, daily activity level, and environmental conditions like temperature and humidity, all play a role in determining your individual water needs. As a general guide, aim to drink a cup of water every hour for the first 10 hours that you're awake.
It's worth noting that your diet is also a source of water. If your diet is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, this will contribute to your overall hydration status. Conversely, a diet predominantly composed of highly processed foods may have a dehydrating effect, as these packaged products tend to have low water content.
How to hydrate your body if you hate water
Staying hydrated is undeniably essential for our health and well-being. However, we understand that drinking plain water can sometimes feel boring. Here are some easy strategies to employ to encourage you to stay hydrated:
- Increase the palatability of water by adding fresh fruits. Try some of our favourite fruit-infused water combinations like refreshing cucumber and lime water, zesty lemon and mint water, or fruity strawberries and blackberry water.
- Complement your hydration status with non-caffeinated herbal tea. During the cooler months, it can be notoriously tricky to stay hydrated. Non-caffeinated herbal tea is a great option to stay hydrated and keep warm. We love calming chamomile tea and warming ginger tea.
- If you’re a fan of fizzy beverages, consider incorporating carbonated or sparkling water. Adding a squeeze of lemon can transform it into a delicious and healthy "lemonade”.
3 products great for hydration:
Revitalise Daily Electrolytes
Revitalise electrolytes contain a blend of 7 essential minerals, amino acids, and electrolytes to quickly replenish minerals lost during daily activities, exercise and sweating. With no nasties including artificial flavours, sweeteners, or colours, we recommend it for the entire family. It’s also free from caffeine, sugar, gluten, and animal products and suitable for ketogenic, paleo and vegan diets.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is the clear liquid found on the inside of a coconut fruit. It’s regarded as a healthy beverage as it’s a natural source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and electrolytes. Due to its naturally occurring electrolytes, we enjoy drinking coconut water as an alternative to plain water to hydrate quickly. Think of it as nature’s electrolyte drink.
Franjo's Kitchen Motherhood Hydration Powder
Franjo’s Kitchen understands that during pregnancy, labour and postpartum, getting in enough water is probably the last thing on your mind. Their Motherhood hydration powder is made with only natural ingredients including electrolyte-rich coconut water, real fruit juice and red seaweed. Whether you’re a pregnant mama struggling to get down plain water, preparing for labour or breastfeeding your bub, their powder will keep you hydrated and nourished.
Products to avoid? And why?
Whilst Gatorade, Powerade and other sports drinks will try to persuade you to think they’re the ultimate electrolyte drinks to stay hydrated and fuelled like an athlete, they may not be the best choice for you. Per one 600ml bottle, they can contain upwards of 36g of sugar which is around 3 tbsps. of sugar. Whilst this is great for certain circumstances such as when you’re engaging in long and intense exercise, it can easily lead to excessive sugar intake and poor health outcomes. Other undesirable ingredients in Gatorade and Powerade include artificial sweeteners, preservatives, artificial flavours, and colours. Those bright colours of sports drinks aren’t derived from nature, they’re artificial colours.
Vitamin water is another electrolyte drink on the market. From face value, it looks like a healthy beverage to stay hydrated, replenish your electrolytes and obtain additional vitamins. However, if you turn over the ingredient label, you’ll find other ingredients including refined sugars, flavours, and colours. You’re much better off obtaining your essential vitamins from whole food sources.
The most dehydrating drinks:
Not all fluids have the same impact on your hydration, and some beverages can lead to fluid loss and dehydration. Coffee contains caffeine, which is responsible for its stimulating and cognitive-enhancing effects. However, caffeine acts as a diuretic and encourages more urine output. While there is an ongoing debate about whether coffee affects hydration status, plain water is a better option for staying hydrated because it lacks other potential side effects from coffee, such as jitteriness and insomnia.
Alcohol is another beverage that can potentially lead to dehydration. Alcohol consumption increases urine output due to its ethanol content. Hence, the higher the alcohol content in a beverage, the greater its diuretic effect.
And finally, here’s another reason to avoid soft drinks. Soft drinks are packed with sugars, and these high sugar levels can disrupt your blood sugar balance. The sugars and caffeine in soft drinks act as diuretics, promoting the excretion of urine from the body and contributing to dehydration.
What are the ingredients to help hydrate quickly?
When you’re dehydrated, you've lost both fluid and electrolytes. Electrolytes are electrically charged substances involved in multiple bodily functions, including muscle contraction and fluid regulation. One of the quickest ways to hydrate and replenish lost electrolytes is by consuming a combination of electrolytes and water.
The electrolytes we’re referring to are sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, and chloride. These minerals are often added to sports drinks to maintain electrolyte balance and reduce water loss after exercise.
Sodium helps to retain water and electrolyte balance in the body and is involved in vital roles, including muscle contractions and blood pressure regulation. Potassium is another electrolyte that, in conjunction with sodium, helps regulate fluid balance and muscle contractions.
Chloride is often found with sodium (as “sodium chloride” or more commonly known as salt) and contributes significantly to maintaining proper fluid balance. Phosphate is responsible for tooth and bone mineralization and maintaining the body's pH balance.
Magnesium is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including blood pressure regulation, energy production, and nerve function. Calcium, beyond its role in supporting bone health and preventing osteoporosis, also functions as an electrolyte, playing a critical part in muscle and nerve function.
If you’re wondering how on Earth, you’re going to obtain these electrolytes, Revitalise has got you covered. Their sugar-free and tasty electrolyte drink mix contains all six essential electrolytes mentioned earlier, along with glycine, an amino acid known to improve sleep and recovery. This blend of electrolytes gives you the necessary components to rehydrate rapidly after exercising, aiding muscle function, and reducing muscle cramps. It's also suitable for kids, diabetics, and office workers who need a convenient way to stay hydrated. The hardest decision you'll face is choosing which flavour to get!
Ingredients to look out for in hydration drinks?
Before deciding to purchase a hydration beverage, there are a few ingredients to look out for to help replenish electrolytes and prevent dehydration. The key ingredient is electrolytes, it’s essential that the hydration beverage contains sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, and chloride.
While some hydration beverages contain sugars, which can provide energy for strenuous workouts. There are sugar-free options like Revitalise electrolyte powders, which are available for everyday use and non-exercise days. What we don’t want to see in our electrolyte drinks are caffeine, artificial sweeteners, colours, and flavours.
Did you find it surprising that even mild dehydration can significantly affect your physical and mental performance? You're not alone! Contrary to popular belief, electrolytes aren't beneficial for only athletes engaging in strenuous physical exercise- we can all benefit from using electrolytes to stay optimally hydrated. You can discover all the products we've mentioned on GoodnessMe. Bottoms up to a great Summer!
About the Author:
Judy Cho is a degree-qualified nutritionist. She has a strong passion for debunking sensationalized yet misinformed nutrition myths. Her goal is to share evidence-based information and provide healthy recipes, helping others make informed choices about their nutrition and well-being.