Drink water to keep hydrated

When you’re athletic and sweat a lot, it’s always important to stay well hydrated. Dehydration can give you headaches, it slows down your brain, leaves you dry and achy and can even affect your sleep.

I have seen many adults suffer from dehydration symptoms during hot months or even during athletic events. Even school children dehydrate easily during school breaks when playing in the heat, or during and after a sports event.

Many people think that when they are dehydrated they just need to drink water. But here’s the tricky part: when you’re dehydrated, your body loses a bit of the thirst mechanism, so you might find that the more dehydrated you are the less you feel like drinking. Also, if you are the type of person who feels nauseous when you drink water first thing in the morning then that’s another sign that you’re dehydrated on a cell level.
 
The other tricky bit is that when you sweat a lot you lose not just body fluids (water) but you also lose the salts and electrolytes that come out in the sweat. So, many people make the mistake of drinking big amounts of water when feeling dehydrated, not knowing that they will be diluting whatever is left of their electrolytes. So the trick is to drink water in addition to other hydrating drinks (see below).

If you have an active event coming up where you know you will be spending a lot of time outdoors or engaging in some tiring activity, make sure you keep these tips in mind:

* Water is the best thing to drink before, after and during a sports event. Make sure to carry your bottle around at all times. And remember to drink BEFORE you get thirsty.
* You can also have fresh coconut water because it contains potassium and important electrolytes that are crucial for hydration.
* Avoid drinks containing caffeine (coffee, tea, and fizzy drinks) as they dehydrate the body further. The first signs of dehydration are headaches, dry mouth and fatigue.
* Also avoid energy sports drinks because they usually contain chemicals, colourings and artificial sugars. You’re better off making your own energy drink at home (see below).
* For treating mild dehydration, mix four teaspoons of raw honey and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in a 1.5 litre bottle of water and sip regularly. You can add a lemon squeeze to that too.

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