Summer health
Feeling the heat?
Stay hydrated with my top tips
We had the most amazing heatwave here in the UK. The weather has ben gorgeous, sunny and hot. Exactly the way I like it (I love hot weather if you didn’t know). But I do acknowledge that this is not normal weather for the UK (or for May!) and for many (particularly the elderly and those who suffer from certain health conditions) it can get very uncomfortable when the temperatures rise this much.
One thing that will help you cope better is to hydrate your body well. Dehydration can make your symptoms worse and even a slight drop in hydration (1-2%) can affect your brain and cognitive function, as well as mental and physical performance. Hydration is crucial for your health in many ways, so make sure you drink a lot of fluids (non-sweetened, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated) to top up what you lose when sweating more.
But even when the temperatures rise to near (or even above) 30°C, many people still forget to drink enough water. What about you? Are you topping up with fluids regularly? How do you know if you are hydrating properly?
Check out my top tips for how to keep well hydrated in the heat:
1. Aim for 2 litres
If you are drinking less than 2 litres of water a day, you might not be hydrating your body properly.
2. Check your wee.
Your wee should be no darker than straw colour (unless you are taking B vitamins, in which case it’s likely very bright yellow). If it’s very dark, the most probable cause is dehydration.
3. If you are thirsty…
…you’ve left it too late, you are already mildly dehydrated. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty, keep up with your water intake all day long.
4. Filter tap water
This makes it taste better and improves its quality. If you still don’t like the taste, chill it and add frozen berries, ginger, lemon or cucumber… to flavour it. Unsweetened herbal teas also count to your total water intake, and you can always chill a pot of herbal tea if drinking hot drinks isn’t really what you want to do in the heat.
5. Going to the loo constantly?
If you are running to the loo constantly when increasing your fluid intake, your might be low in electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, that carry an electric charge and are vital for regulating body’s fluid balance, transmitting nerve signals, and enabling proper muscle contractions. Adding electrolytes to water can also help with water retention and puffiness if you are prone to those.
I use a liquid electrolyte concentrate (I like Elete and Oshun) that is designed for health optimisation rather than hydration salts for medical use, as these much higher in sodium. And use some good quality salt in cooking along with herbs and spices to replace some sodium that you lose through sweating.
6. Eat your water
Eat foods that have a high water content: cucumber, watermelon, citrus fruit, celery, smoothies, soups. Freeze chopped up fruits such as watermelon and orange segments and blend them into a refreshing drink, slushy or ‘nice’ cream.
7. Say no to alcohol and caffeine
Avoid (too much) alcohol and caffeine as they can be dehydrating.
8. Instead stock up with these drinks
Stock up with drinks such as sparkling water, OHMG magnesium water, ginger shots (Mother Root and MUJI do lovely ones), kombucha (use one without sweeteners, e.g. Equinox), different herbal teas. I use kombucha and ginger shots as flavouring to water rather than drinking them neat.
9. Balance your blood sugar
Avoid too many sugary and refined carbohydrate foods, as well as sweetened soft drinks as they can actually worsen dehydration and water retention by spiking your blood sugar and insulin. Hyperinsulinaemia (high insulin levels) can lead to vasoconstriction, make sodium and water retention worse, raise blood pressure and cause inflammation in the body. This can worsen many symptoms.
Read more tips for summer health and how to stay well on holiday in this blog.
If you need support with any health issues and think a comprehensive blood test or ongoing nutrition coaching and accountability is what you need to feel better, then let’s chat. I would love to help.
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