In summer’s heat, you need to stay hydrated for your health.
As temperatures rise, so does your chance of becoming dehydrated. Dehydration happens when water loss exceeds water intake. If the percentage of water loss escalates too much, you can be in grave danger of significant health effects and even death.
Water is that critical and is your most important ally in avoiding dehydration. Understanding and protecting yourself against this avoidable consequence can help you enjoy warmer weather.
Your body’s water composition
Age and gender are two factors determining our percent water composition. However, at birth, newborn babies have the highest percentage as their bodies comprise 75-78 percent water, making it the single most prominent substance in the human body.
By age one, that will have dropped to 65 percent.
An adult’s body water content can range from 55 to 60 percent, with men having a higher content than women. This is because men have more muscle tissue holding more water, while women have more fat tissue not holding as much water.
Why is water so important?
Water does so much more than quench our thirst. It also does the following:
- Carries nutrients, hormones, and oxygen to all cells of the body
- Forms saliva and aids in the digestion of food
- Carries waste products from the cells for removal by the kidneys
- Is necessary for essential reactions within the body that would not happen without water
- Helps to lubricate our joints so we can move with ease
- Regulates body temperature by absorbing heat generated by your metabolism and eliminating excess heat through sweating
- Is essential for properly functioning our brain, muscles, and kidneys.
The brain is composed of 85 percent water. Water loss can lead to dizziness, fatigue, headache, confusion, and disorientation. Our muscles contain 70 percent water. Dehydration is detrimental to the muscles since water regulates electrolytes which help muscles to function during exercise. The kidneys depend on water to help dissolve and remove waste products such as urea and lactic acid. Too little water and the kidneys must work much harder to remove those waste products and toxins.
How much water do we need?
This is a challenging question to answer as water needs vary from person to person. Factors determining our water needs include:
- Foods you eat
- Activity level
- Environmental temperature
- Humidity
- Altitude
- Medications taken
- Age
On average, the Dietary Reference Intakes recommends 13 cups of fluid for men and 9 cups of fluid for women each day. We can obtain 80 percent of the body’s daily water needs by consuming water and other beverages, and 20 percent comes from food, mainly fruits and vegetables.
The color of your urine can be a good indicator of your hydration. A well-hydrated person’s urine is clear and pale yellow. A dehydrated person will produce dark-colored urine, and the amount is decreased.
Who is at risk of dehydration?
All of us can be at risk of dehydration if we are not paying attention to our fluid intake. For example, sometimes we become dehydrated because we get busy and forget to drink, or maybe we don’t have access to water. Other reasons can be the following:
- Elderly – their body’s ability to conserve water is reduced, and their thirst sensation is decreased.
- Infants and children – they don’t tolerate heat well and have more skin surface relative to their body size; therefore, they lose water through evaporation from the skin.
- Anyone with a chronic illness such as uncontrolled diabetes or kidney disease.
- Athletes or anyone working outdoors in hot, humid weather.
- Anyone experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, or a fever.
Signs of dehydration
It doesn’t take much of a percent loss of water to begin showing symptoms of dehydration. With as little as only 1-2 percent water loss, you will start having symptoms that worsen as you become more dehydrated. Signs can include:
- Thirst
- Fatigue or light-headedness
- Dry, sticky mouth
- Flushed skin
- Heat intolerance
- Headache
- Constipation
- Dark-colored urine and reduced urine output
- Difficulty concentrating and irritability
Dehydration can lead to severe complications that may include:
- Heatstroke
- Seizures
- Kidney failure
- Brain swelling
- Low blood volume
- Coma and death
How to keep well-hydrated
To prevent dehydration, you need to make smart beverage choices each day. Of course, water is the best choice, but water is also present in other beverages such as milk, 100 percent fruit juice, soups, tea, coffee, and broth. In addition, high water-content foods such as fruits and veggies can also help meet our water needs. I believe the summer months are the best time of year to make the most of hydrating food sources since seasonal, fresh produce is so plentiful.
Here is a listing of the top 20 foods to help you stay hydrated this summer:
| 1. Bell peppers (94% water) | 11. Mushrooms (91% water) |
| 2. Broccoli (90% water) | 12. Oranges (87% water) |
| 3. Cabbage (92% water) | 13. Peaches (88% water) |
| 4. Cantaloupe (90% water) | 14. Radishes (95% water) |
| 5. Cauliflower (92% water) | 15. Romaine Lettuce (94% water) |
| 6. Celery (95% water) | 16. Spinach (92% water) |
| 7. Cucumbers ( 95% water | 17. Strawberries (91% water) |
| 8. Honeydew Melon (89% water) | 18. Tomatoes (94% water) |
| 9. Iceberg Lettuce (95% water) | 19. Watermelon (92% water) |
| 10. Kale (88% water) | 20. Zucchini/Summer Squash (94% water) |
Of course, there are certain beverages to avoid when trying to stay hydrated such as soft drinks and sports drinks – they contain too much sugar that could result in excess weight gain. Energy drinks should also be avoided as they have extra sugar and excessive caffeine. In addition, the high caffeine content can bring about insomnia, headaches, and abnormal heart rhythm, particularly in children.
Another beverage to add to the list of ones to avoid prohibiting proper hydration is beverages containing alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, whether it’s in beer, wine, or spirits. When consuming alcohol, if you fail to drink sufficient water, you can become quickly dehydrated, causing you to lose water. Alcohol causes your body to remove fluids from your blood through your renal system, including the kidneys, ureters, and bladder, much quicker than other liquids.
In conclusion
In the coming months, make water your best friend. It’ll keep you hydrated and cool and is an inexpensive way to avoid a serious, potentially life-threatening condition.
