Tips for Staying Hydrated this Summer
It’s ironic that I would be writing an article on how to stay hydrated. I’m notorious for drinking waaay too much coffee and I find it extremely difficult to stay hyderated at times – especially during the scorching heat of Cairo summers.
First of all – contrary to popular belief, not all fluid intake hydrates the body. In fact, some drinks – known as diuretics – encourage fluid elimination (yes, peeing) and will actually dehydrate your body.
Here’s a short list of diuretic beverages to avoid during the heat:
1) Coffee
Many of us need a cup of joe to wake ourselves up in the morning. However, too much caffeine in your body will dehydrate you and cause severe headaches.
2) Soda and energy drinks
Loaded with sugar and caffeine, these beverages are diuretic and can even cause kidney stones. And after you’ve been diagnosed with kidney stones? You’ll then be required to drink loads of water (trust me, I’ve been there) – so why wait until you’re wheeled in to a hospital screaming like a little child? Just skip the Cola and grab a water instead.
3) Cranberry juice
Amazing hangover cure but too much of it will make you pee like a pregnant woman. Beware!
4) Tea
Although tea (especially green tea) is known as one of the best natural fat burners out there, it’s also a diuretic. It is known that some fat burners can cause side effects, like different products for fitness purposes, so this is no surprise that Tea can also cause side effects with it being a good fat burner. If you drink too much and neglect to drink water to restore fluids, you’ll be left with dry skin and dehydration, so the side effects are slightly different compared to fitness-related fat burners.
5) Alcohol
There’s a reason why they tell you to drink water after a long night of partying. Those morning hangovers? Caused by dehydration.
And we know you’re going to be partying it up this weekend for Sham al-Nessim, so make sure you restore your fluids. So unless you hate yourself, drink water before you go to sleep at 4am, and drink more water again when you wake up.
Secondly, aside from avoiding diuretics, here’s a short list of other tips for staying hydrated:
1) Add a slice of lemon or lime juice to your water glass. It’ll add flavor and you’ll find yourself drinking more. For extra splash of flavor, you can cool your drink down with some cranberry juice ice cubes.
2) Eat plenty of fruits and veggies. Foods like broccoli and watermelon have a high water content. However, they’re no substitute for water, so make sure you have a water bottle around at all times.
3) Snack on ice chips. Add them to your water or just eat them plain. Who doesn’t like a crunchy treat?
Obviously, if you’re participating in activities that cause excessive sweating (such as athletics, sitting in a sauna or even just walking around on a hot day), you should restore fluids accordingly.
This also means that if any of you crazies are planning to take ecstasy/MDMA over Sham El Nessim weekend, you’ll be running around like a maniac, so MAKE SURE you drink plenty of water (but not too much because then you could die from water intoxication).
WE SAID THIS: Treat your body well – you’ll thank us later.
