Five Ways to Prevent Dehydration

Dehydration carries a nasty list of symptoms including headaches, muscle cramps, hypotension, dizziness, and fainting. The best way to prevent these lighter symptoms of dehydration from throwing a monkey wrench in your summer activities is to plan ahead and keep dehydration from occurring in the first place. Five quick tips for avoiding dehydration:

1. Drink Water on a Regular Basis

We are supposed to consume an average of at least 64-ounces of "straight-water" a day. The best way to do this is to space your water consumption out over your waking hours so you maintain a consistent level of hydration without any valleys and peaks. If you are awake 16 hours a day, then a good rule of thumb would be to drink an 8-ounce glass of water every two hours. If you're just starting out, a kitchen timer would be a great reminder.

2. Get Extra Liquid from Your Supper

When you are relaxing in front of the AC after a day of recreating in the sun, chances are your body is cool enough to appreciate a bowl of chicken noodle soup as well as it would on any day of winter. The quantity of broth that you add to a can of chicken noodle soup will give you an extra 8-16 ounces of water right of the top.

3. Eat Jell-O for Dessert

A refreshing dessert like Jell-O is also a completely valid way of avoiding dehydration. After you eat Jell-O, your stomach breaks the product back into the components it was before you made it. And the main thing you added to Jell-O was what? Water! An added bonus is the great taste and the satisfying coolness of jigglers.

4. Your Clothing Can Help You

When you are going to be outside for an extended period of time, dressing smartly (in reference to thought) can go a long way towards helping your body retain fluids. If you go outside dressed in head to toe tight black garments without headgear on, you are asking to be broiled. While you are broiling, your body is losing water. Dress in lighter, loose-fitting clothing to help keep sweating as minimal an amount as possible. Wear a loose floppy hat to help cast a little shade over your body. This will also help reduce sweat quantity. The less you sweat, the less water your body is losing, which helps you stave off dehydration. Be sure to drink an adequate amount of water to replace the amount you are sweating though!

5. Leave the Beer at Home

If you are out recreating in the sun this summer, don't think of beer as your refreshing beverage of choice. Beer and other types of liquor increase urination which will leave you expelling more water than you are taking in, especially if you are replacing said water with more beer. When you pass out, it may not be from intoxication but rather from dehydration. To play it safe save the beer for when you get home and drink water when you are under the sun.

It is easy for adults to prevent dehydration. We know the ground rules, it is just a matter of making ourselves follow them. When it comes to keeping your body healthy, you can't let your ego or a summer-party attitude get in the way. Eat wisely, don't consume beer, and dress properly when you are out this summer, and you will get by just fine.