Now that the weather is warmer, many of us will soak up as much vitamin D as possible. But as temperatures increase, staying hydrated becomes more important. Dr Barbara Kubicka Founder, Director and Doctor of Clinicbe outlines the red flag symptoms of dehydration that you aren’t aware of and easy ways to increase you hydration levels.
How to recognise the signs that you might be dehydrated
Feeling thirsty is one of the first signs of dehydration, along with dry mouth and lips. If you don’t manage to drink enough water, then your body will try to conserve more water, mainly through the kidneys. So the colour of your urine will go darker, and you will need to go to the toilet less often. As the dehydration becomes more severe, you might start to feel lethargic, dizzy or even confused.
The signs that you might be experiencing dehydration but aren’t aware of
Sometimes, feeling sluggish and tired can be a sign of dehydration, which people sometimes put down to other things. This is particularly true when the weather is hot. During warm and hot spells, we sweat a lot more, and therefore need to drink more than usual to compensate for the extra water loss. In addition to this, when it’s warm/hot, our blood vessels tend to dilate to try to radiate extra heat from the body. The vasodilation can lower the blood pressure slightly, and when you don’t drink enough to make up for this drop in blood pressure, it can make you feel faint and sluggish.
How much water should you drink a day?
The general guide of 2L of water per day is adequate for most people, but this does depend on a person’s weight, their level of activity, the temperature of the environment, certain medications, caffeine intake and whether they are suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. If they are losing more water than normal, then they will need to drink more than 2L per day.
Does your size change it?
Your body’s water requirement is weight dependent. Adults need roughly 30ml/kg/day. So a 50Kg person would need to drink 1.5L of water per day, and an 80Kg person would need 2.4L of water per day.
What’s an easy way to know we are getting enough and are hydrated?
Sip water regularly throughout the day to make sure that you don’t get the feeling of thirst. If you are well-hydrated, you should feel the need to empty your bladder regularly throughout the day, and your urine should be a pale yellow colour.
Three easy tips to drink more water
If you struggle to remember to drink water then:
- Keep a bottle of water handy. It will serve as a visual reminder to drink more water if you see it on your desk/counter top.
- Set an alarm to remind you to take a few sips every 30 minutes.
- Tie drinking water with a routine eg drink a glass of water when you wake up, before you eat a meal etc
Do other liquids count towards your hydration intake?
Any drink which is not caffeinated and not alcoholic counts towards your fluid intake. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol don’t count because they make your body lose more water. So if you do drink alcohol and caffeinated drinks then you need to balance this with extra water to compensate.
Any other ways to boost hydration other than drinking water?
There is water in many of the foods we eat as well, especially fruit and vegetables (lettuce, celery, courgette, cabbage, watermelon). Making a healthy smoothie by blending fruit and vegetables together is a great way to get your 5-a-day in as well as boosting your water intake. Soups and herbal teas are also great ways of boosting your fluid intake as well as providing some nutritional benefit.
It is worth noting that alkaline water is slightly less acidic than regular drinking water and contains alkaline minerals. Drinking alkaline water will help to regulate your PH level and reduce inflammation.
What about brands selling water with electrolytes? Is this more hydrating or is it marketing?
These electrolyte drinks may be helpful in long distance runners or people who are suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting, but for the average person with an average level of activity who drinks enough water alongside a balanced diet, the electrolytes are really unnecessary. A lot of these drinks will also contain sugar, which may be extra calories that you don’t need.