Feeling sluggish? You might be dehydrated!
As tourism gradually reopens, people are planning holidays again but will travel be the same? According to travel influencers, it will be slow, less but meaningful.
“I think Covid-19 has made everyone realise that everything around us is unpredictable. This will encourage more people to take the plunge and travel to places we’ve always dreamt of ticking off the bucket list,” says Savi Munjal of a popular travel blog.
Munjal’s partner, Vidit Taneja, echoes the view and says, “Individuals will approach travel in a more responsible and sustainable way than before.”
Another travel influencer, Shivya Nath, feels we’ll stop impulsively jet-setting around the world and opt for more meaningful travel. She says, “Both in tourism policy and as individual travellers, we are likely to become more inclined towards slow, meaningful, low impact, sustainable travel that supports local communities and minimises our impact on the environment.”
Nath also points out that we must learn to live with Covid19, and the only kind of travelling that’ll make sense is slow travel. “Getting safely from one destination to another and keeping up with testing /quarantine rules will only be worth it if we plan to spend several months in a place,” she says.
Europe is good example as it opened up pretty fast, and Italy and Spain, the hardest hit countries, were the first to reopen for tourists. So travel cannot be as safe as it used to be earlier, feels travel writer Siddhartha Joshi. But, he says, “If all the precautions are taken, people will start thinking it’s safe to travel now.” He foresees some changes. “Flying will be less common, people may prefer driving to destinations. The trips will be closer to home, and more oriented towards with family or a known group,” he says.
Travel blogger Shubham Mansingka anticipates that travellers may choose smaller homestays to staying at hotels. He says, “The reason could be people wanting the entire place to themselves rather than being in close proximity to other guests, and at homestays sometimes you’re the only guests!” Mansingka adds that, “When I start travelling next, I’d most likely visit a place where I have been earlier as I would know locals beforehand and it can assure me about the safety of the place.”
And there are new travel trends emerging, such as drivecations, workations. Munjal says, “We believe the future of such ‘-ations’ is very bright because it targets specific niches.”
The changing weather in the Capital and its surrounding areas has led to an increase in humidity, and with this comes the risk of getting dehydrated. No matter how many glasses of water we consume in a day, it never feels sufficient.
Dehydration can lower the blood pressure, thereby causing headache, fatigue, and several other issues.
“When dehydrated, blood vessels cannot stretch enough due to the reduction in blood volume. The higher sodium content in the dehydrated bloodstream forces capillaries to close and blood pressure to increase,” observes Dr Shalini Garwin Bliss, a dietitian.
We’ve been told, time and again, to drink enough water. But, what classifies as enough? “At least nine to 12 glasses of water is a must in a day,” says Dr Bliss. In addition to water, she also recommends coconut water, salted chaach, lemon water and fruit juices.
“Different smoothies made with fresh fruits can be consumed to avoid dehydration, such as watermelon, mango and blueberry. Coconut water and bael juice are also good options,” says Neha Pathania, a senior dietitian.
Dehydration not only results
Sanchita Kalra
Srinidhi Gopalakrishnan
in loss of water in the body, but also essential nutrients, one such being potassium. Therefore, in addition to keeping a check on water intake, it is also important to replenish minerals.
“The best way to replenish potassium count is to load up on bananas, as they are the most readily available potassium source. Coconut water is rich in sodium and potassium, and drinking it will quench your thirst and replenish lost nutrients.
Cucumbers are 95% water, and also rich in vitamin C. Their ability to balance the water level makes them an excellent option for heart and kidney problems. Also, celery is rich in sodium, potassium, iron and zinc. They have the highest water content among all vegetables and are a good source of B-vitamins, folate, antioxidants and fibre,” says dietitian Sushma PS.
So, remember to stay happy, healthy and hydrated!
DR SHALINI GARWIN BLISS DIETITIAN