How to Rehydrate Like a Pro – 6 Vital Tips to Hydrate the Body
Good hydration is key to health, especially in these hot upcoming months. How you hydrate, however, makes all the difference. These tips will help you rehydrate while keeping energy and wellness high!
Keep reading to find out just how important water is, the dangers of dehydration, and how to rehydrate efficiently today!
The Importance of Hydration
Our body operates with optimal levels of water to keep us alive. Water is life. It is used in many processes, including respiration and cellular energy. We need proper water levels in our bodies in order for our health to thrive. Even slight dehydration can cause a plethora of problems including headaches, dry mouth, memory issues, cognitive decline, cramps, energy loss, and more. In very severe cases, there can even be organ failure with consequences that last for years.
Staying hydrated is crucial for wellness. Depending on how dehydrated you get, it could take from a few minutes to a couple of days to fully rehydrate your body. For very extreme cases of dehydration, it’s best to seek medical attention as the best way to rehydrate is through an IV fluid solution. However, with less severe cases of dehydration, it is very possible to rehydrate efficiently at home.
Signs of Dehydration
There are a couple of signs of dehydration that we should watch out for in order to prevent severe cases of dehydration from occurring. This includes headaches, fatigue, dry mouth, and dark urine. You might feel confusion, a rapid heart rate, dizziness, or extreme thirst. In cases where you have trouble concentrating, it may be best to seek medical attention to get an IV and reintroduce hydration rapidly.
How to Rehydrate Like a Pro
Here are the best tips to help you rehydrate like a pro. These are super important to use when the weather’s hot and you need a boost of water. Hydrating well can mean the difference between a healthy body and serious heat-related illnesses.
1. Moderation is Key
There is no way for our body to safely chug a couple of gallons of water in a couple of minutes. Too much water too fast is very dangerous. That is why moderation is key for hydration. Drink water throughout the day in order for your body to absorb the water effectively. If you drink too much water too fast, the balance of fluids in your body becomes life-threatening.
2. Electrolytes
Electrolytes can make it easier for your body to process water. They are nutrients and minerals that can help regulate the fluids in the body. This includes nutrients like potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium. They work together to help us absorb fluids and can improve overall wellness and health exponentially. Other ways to make solutions that are electrolyte-rich include drinking herbal teas, drinking clear broths, or drinking a low-sugar balanced blend of electrolytes. You can easily make your own electrolyte drink by adding some salt and sugar to plain water.
3. Avoid Dehydrators
There are some things we eat or drink that can actually cause more dehydration. This includes something like alcohol or high-salted foods. These things can actually make us more dehydrated, and will not be good for us if we are thirsty. Avoid things that are too high in sugar as well, since it takes water to break down the glucose molecules and store them properly in the body.
4. Room Temp Solutions
It might be easier for our body to process room-temperature water. This is because it takes more energy for the body to safely process cold or hot beverages. While the difference is not huge, there is a potential difference in how water is absorbed according to temperature. Colder temperatures tend to constrict blood vessels, which may make it more difficult to absorb things properly. One case however did find that cold temperature water tended to reduce the body’s core temperature when it was drunk before exercising. This means if you plan to work out, it may be beneficial for you to drink ice water beforehand in order to maintain your body temperature lower during the exercise.
5. Check in with the Body
We need to be constantly checking in with our body in order to learn its signals better. This includes noticing when we have a little less saliva in our mouth. This can be due to thirst. It is actually very common for thirst and hunger to be confused, as signals can overlap. Try to pay close attention to your body. Check-in with yourself, if you have a headache or have trouble concentrating, try to drink an electrolyte-rich solution. Take note of your muscles and if you have any sort of cramp, know it could be an imbalance of electrolytes. It is also important for us to check our urine, as a darker color may indicate that we are dehydrated.
6. Eat Your Water
At the end of the day, we aren’t always sipping water. That’s why it is important for us to eat our hydration. There are many fruits and vegetables that have a high water content that can be very beneficial for our body’s rehydration. When you eat something that has a high water content, you are better able to process that food and gain the benefit of balancing fluids in the body easily. Plus, it’s a good way to curb hunger and rehydrate unknowingly. Here’s a full list of amazing fruits and vegetables that are great for rehydrating the body!
The Takeaway
With Summer coming up, and record-breaking temperatures right along the horizon, we must learn how to rehydrate like a pro. There are ways that we can properly rehydrate the body and boost overall health and wellbeing. Try out any of these tips in order for health and overall wellness to flourish. Water is life, and learning how to hydrate properly is to learn how to live a healthy, happy life.
Remember that health comes from within. Eat healthy, nutritious meals, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. Daily habits become the building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. Take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
