Stay hydrated in the heat

The summer sun is starting to sizzle and that means sweating starts to increase with the heat. This means that in addition to the all important six to eight glasses of water you need every day now you need even more fluids.

If you work hard and consciously drink enough fluid every day you will keep your energy level up, be more alert, avoid headaches, have a healthy urinary tract and overall feel really good. On the flip side of that, if you are not drinking enough fluid the really big problem is that you don’t usually feel the effects until it is too late and you are already dehydrated. Dehydration is a negative thing in your body and takes some time and effort to recover from.

Symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration include: — Increased thirst — Dry mouth — Tired or sleepy — Decreased urine output — Urine is low in volume and more yellowish then normal. (I once heard it explained in ‘beer terms’ at a conference. Healthy is colour of Bud Light; very unhealthy is color of Guinness.) — Headache — Dizziness — Few or no tears — Dry skin Symptoms of severe dehydration are much worse and can come on very quickly. They include: — Severely decreased urine output — Cannot walk or stand normally due to severe dizziness

— Blood pressure drops when trying to stand after lying down — Rapid heart rate — Fever — Lethargy, confusion or coma — Seizure — Difficulty breathing — Chest or abdominal pain

Blend all ingredients together until desired consistency, add water as needed. Serve. By not adding alcohol you save 7 calories per gram of alcohol.

— Fainting As you see, you definitely want to be proactive and keep your body hydrated before you ever start to even feel thirsty.

Of course water is always the best choice for hydrating but sometimes we need a little flavour fun to keep us drinking. Above are a couple of yummy recipes to help keep you drinking lots throughout the summer months.

Both recipes on this page are from Patricia Chueys book ‘Eating for Energy Without Deprivation — The 80/20 Cookbook”

Joanne Smith is a registered dietitian.