The month of March in Chennai requires no mention. For us, it is always summer, whichever season it be. It becomes pertinent for us to prioritise health with the sun mercilessly scorching all day long.
I am sure the same old forward message of drinking eight glasses per day is yet again back and doing rounds on WhatsApp. While creating awareness is appreciated, affixing it with invalidated facts and figures is perilous. Experts point out that water requirement for a person differs from one to another based on factors like age, lifestyle and nature of work.
Dehydration is the most common condition as we forget to consume enough water. A few of the symptoms for dehydration are parched tongue/throat, increased thirst, sweating, decreased urine output, yellowish urine, dry skin and the final stage would be dizziness. It is important to identify when the symptoms start to show and stay hydrated.
For people who require to travel extensively during the day time, ought to drink 2.5 litres of water. However, if you work in an air-conditioned environment where chances of water loss is slim, it is not required to consume too much water.
Time and again, we are advised to drink plenty of water. But too much of anything is good for nothing. In this case, studies point our that overconsumption can cause hyponatremia where the kidneys become weak to excrete excess water and dilution of sodium occurs which further leads to swelling of cells. It is also stated that it is life threatnening condition.
Another major indicator of dehydration is sweating. On an average, in an air-conditioned room when the room temperature is recorded to be 32 degree celcius, a person loses around 1.5 litres of water. This further triggers us to think about the case of not having an AC. It is required for a person to stay aware of bodily changes and alter dietary pattern accordingly. When you sweat too much, your body might dehydrate and you need to be conscious and drink water when initial symptoms show.
Other supplements for water include consumption of fresh fruit juices, tender coconut water and buttermilk without sugar or salt. Drinking lemon juice with honey in the morning boosts the functions of liver and kindney and keeps digestive problems under control as it possesses detoxifying properties.
Including mint is a great choice as it is a natural coolant. While it can be consumed as a juice, it can also be added to your meal that keeps you fresh inside out. Sabja seeds have a natural fighting ability against rising body temperature. Soak it until they become gelatinous and mix it with juice or dessert.