Hydration

This week, I want to talk to you about something that may seem a little boring, but is extremely important especially at this time of the year. We need to have a chat about staying properly hydrated. Hydration is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself throughout the entire year, but especially during the summer. The extra heat of these few months can make you burn through your body’s supply of liquid very rapidly, which is not good considering how much we are made up of water. If you are trying to lose weight during the summer, it is especially important to remain hydrated since one of the first things that you will lose is what’s called “water weight”.
While the summer is known as a time to have fun and be relatively care free, it can be a rather dangerous time if you don’t keep up with your health. Making sure that you are healthy should always be at the top of your priority list. While we understand that you have a great deal of responsibility, we also want to remind you that you have a responsibility to yourself and if you don’t keep yourself healthy, then you can’t do much to help everyone else that you know and love.
If you are in an area that gets humid and hot, you should increase your water intake during the summer months up to fifty percent. The general guideline is at least eight glasses of water a day, but every person’s body is different. One good way of checking whether you are adequately hydrated or not is to check the color of your urine. While this may feel strange, it is a good way to see if you need to increase your water and liquid intake. The darker your urine, the more water you need to drink. Doctors recommend that your urine be clear, as anything darker may mean that you’re dehydrated and may develop kidney issues from this.
Keeping yourself hydrated is also very important for your joints and general health. Even if you don’t like drinking just water, drinking something like a sports drink or lemonade is better than nothing. Remember, soda and alcohol doesn’t help you that much, so stick to the clearer liquids as much as possible. Keeping yourself healthy should be your number one goal!