Keeping Your Body Hydrated
Summer is finally with us; the Northeasterly wind that has been keeping the cold in our bones this year has hopefully now left us for a while! Summer brings the heat, and it is important to remember that we are 65% ish made up of water. Our water intake needs to be at least a litre and a half just with us resting, so the more we do, the more we need. The hotter it is, the more we need to drink plenty of fluid. We often do not think of what we drink and what effect it has on our bodies. Quite often, in discussions with patients, what makes up our drinks is not really thought of.
Sometimes patients will say they do not have breakfast; however, they have a cup of coffee. On questioning, they will report they have three or four teaspoons of sugar, so actually, they are having breakfast, water, coffee (including the caffeine), and four teaspoons of sugar. To illustrate this further, I ask patients to imagine they are eating each part on its own. A can of a famous dark carbonated drink would be water, carbon dioxide, flavorings, and approximately eight teaspoons of sugar. Image all that sugar, and that’s just one!
Alcohol is another that summer brings joyous associations. Those balmy June English summers sitting in the garden enjoying a glass of wine or a beer with the barbecue on the go, the trees are verdant in the breeze. How does your body feel after? Alcohol can dehydrate, so having a glass of water between drinks is a good idea. Different alcohol is made in different ways with different ingredients, and these will affect us in different ways. If you always get a headache after drinking beer but are ok after a gin a tonic, that is your body telling you something. We are all different, though, and some people are very sensitive to alcohol, others less so. It is a poison to our body if not respected and used in moderation, so enjoy the sun and a lovely drink but like everything, not too much. Moderation is everything; enjoy the sunshine!
Thank you for read our article on “Keeping Your Body Hydrated” we hope you enjoyed it.
Please feel free to contact a member of our team for more advise. You can also keep up to date with us via our Facebook page.
Keeping Your Body Hydrated
Summer is finally with us; the Northeasterly wind that has been keeping the cold in our bones this year has hopefully now left us for a while! Summer brings the heat, and it is important to remember that we are 65% ish made up of water. Our water intake needs to be at least a litre and a half just with us resting, so the more we do, the more we need. The hotter it is, the more we need to drink plenty of fluid. We often do not think of what we drink and what effect it has on our bodies. Quite often, in discussions with patients, what makes up our drinks is not really thought of.
Sometimes patients will say they do not have breakfast; however, they have a cup of coffee. On questioning, they will report they have three or four teaspoons of sugar, so actually, they are having breakfast, water, coffee (including the caffeine), and four teaspoons of sugar. To illustrate this further, I ask patients to imagine they are eating each part on its own. A can of a famous dark carbonated drink would be water, carbon dioxide, flavorings, and approximately eight teaspoons of sugar. Image all that sugar, and that’s just one!
Alcohol is another that summer brings joyous associations. Those balmy June English summers sitting in the garden enjoying a glass of wine or a beer with the barbecue on the go, the trees are verdant in the breeze. How does your body feel after? Alcohol can dehydrate, so having a glass of water between drinks is a good idea. Different alcohol is made in different ways with different ingredients, and these will affect us in different ways. If you always get a headache after drinking beer but are ok after a gin a tonic, that is your body telling you something. We are all different, though, and some people are very sensitive to alcohol, others less so. It is a poison to our body if not respected and used in moderation, so enjoy the sun and a lovely drink but like everything, not too much. Moderation is everything; enjoy the sunshine!
Thank you for read our article on “Keeping Your Body Hydrated” we hope you enjoyed it.
Please feel free to contact a member of our team for more advise. You can also keep up to date with us via our Facebook page.
