It’s dry and hot outside and you begin to have a headache. You just can’t seem to get enough fluids down and you feel like you’re coming down with the flu. As the afternoon draws near and you feel beat, you’re ready to pass out. But you can’t seem to relax because your heart rate is high. For two days your body is just wiped out and you can’t seem to get yourself back on the move. You think it’s the flu? It is not. It is called dehydration and far too many don’t know the signs and symptoms. It’s not a serious condition however can lead to one if not taken care of. So I want to give you a few tips on what you can do to prevent your body from becoming dehydrated during the hot summer months.
To begin, the best gift you can give your body is preventing dehydration to begin with. In the summer, you need to drink at least 10 cups of water daily. If you find yourself under the hot summer sun, than increasing your water intake by at least 2-4 glasses is recommended. If you have become dehydrated the following recipe is recommended.
- Increase your water intake from 10 cups to 20 cups of water a day for a week
- Avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol because they are diuretics and can dehydrate the body
- Eat fruits and vegetables that have high water content
- Take a multivitamin daily to give your body the essentials it needs
- 99 milligrams of potassium is recommended daily to help move the water throughout the body. In the summer months, this vitamin is great to take to maintain overall health
- Herbs can do a lot of good for our bodies. Licorice and Siberian Ginseng are two great herbs that help with hydrating the body.
The key ingredient to curing dehydration is prevention. The body is a fragile system that lives and thrives on water. If the body is depleted of its’ basic source of life than it sends our system into chaos. So we must take effort in preventing this state of disharmony by being conscious about our bodies in the heat and under the sun. Sun exposure, lack of water and nutrients is detrimental to our bodies and we must be consistently aware of the heat and the effects it has on our system. Stressors in life that we encounter on a daily basis build toxins in our bodies and water is essential to rid the body of these toxins and support the body to function properly.
Be mindful of your body’s source of life.
Dr. Amora Rachelle specializes in health promotion and wellness; integrative health care; stress management; spirituality and family health; teaching individuals the key components to achieving wellness and living a healthy lifestyle. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Psychology from Yeshiva University’s Albert Einstein School of Medicine, and a B.A. in Psychology and Dance from George Washington Uninveristy. She is the author of Health Intelligence and founder of Health IQ TM, a company that educates and provides programs in wellness, health promotion and coaching for a healthy lifestyle. She also hosts a radio show on Blog Talk Radio called Health IQ with Dr. Amora as well as The Secrets of Divorce.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.