⚠️ EXTREME HEAT WARNING: AVOID DEHYDRATION!

We’re being blessed with unbelievably clear blue skies in the UK, and it’s wonderful to finally feel the warmth on our skin, but there’s a real danger of significant dehydration, that could seriously affect your wellbeing, if the right steps aren't taken (especially in the elderly and kids🥺)

Sweating causes the body to rapidly lose both water and electrolytes. If your body loses more fluids & minerals than you’re taking in, it can disrupt your natural water balance within cells.  

So, I just wanted to create a very quick, simple blog / email to remind you all (again!) to drink plenty of fluids and consume foods with a high water & trace mineral / electrolyte content. 

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU DRINK?

If you’ve forgotten how much you should be drinking each day, here are the daily guidelines:

Children around 20kg in weight require 700ml

Kids around 30kg need 1L

Kids around 40kg should be given 1250ml

For someone around 50kg, fluid needs are 1650ml

If you're around 60kg, your fluid needs are 2000ml

For 70kg, your fluid needs are 2300ml

For 80kg, your fluid needs are 2650ml

For 90kg, your fluid needs are 3000ml

100kg (and above) you require 3300ml every day

110kg - drink 3650ml / day

>120kg - drink 4000ml / day

But, as these scorching days are prompting us to sweat a great deal, ADD AN EXTRA 500ML /

½ LITRE to your quota.

You’ll know if you’re drinking enough if your urinating 8-12 times in a 24hr period (the average person urinates 6-7 times a day).  If this is the case, it’s likely you’re getting a good amount of (clean) fluid entering and (old, stagnant) fluids leaving your body.

WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU DON’T HYDRATE SUFFICIENTLY?

Feeling thirsty, having a dry mouth or having dark yellow urine aren’t common ‘early signs’ of dehydration. Once you’re experiencing any of these (sensations), you’re ALREADY very dehydrated 🥵

NB: If you’re obtaining the right level of water for your body every day, you’ll never have any of these symptoms.

🤒Dehydration and electrolyte-imbalance have the potential to induce:

·       HEADACHES

·       DIZZINESS

·       FATIGUE

·       MUSCLE CRAMPS

·       RAPID HEARTBEAT

·       RAPID BREATHING / BREATHING PROBLEMS

·       AN INCREASE IN ANXIETY

·       HEAT STROKE (if your body lacks the fluid to sweat and cool your internal body heat)

·       DISORIENTATION, SEIZURES AND EVEN COMA

🚰 WHICH FOODS AND DRINKS PROVIDE WATER AND NATURAL ELECTROLYTES?

The foods & drinks that are going to cool your core body temperature and hydrate you deeply right now are the following:

·       HOT OR COLD (CARBONATED OR STILL) WATER WITH LEMON OR LIME SLICES

·       HOMEMADE LEMONADE (OR LIMEADE)

·       100% COCONUT WATER

·       ALL TYPES OF FRESH FRUIT & VEGGIE JUICES

·       HOMEMADE FRUIT SMOOTHIES

·       HOMEMADE GAZPACHO OR CAWSTON PRESS TOMATO JUICE

·       ICE-LOLLIES (E.G. REMEO GELATO LOLLIES, M&S VALENCIA ORANGE JUICE LOLLIES, M&S

PINEAPPLE & COCONUT & LIME LOLLIES AND LICKALIX MANGO & RASPBERRY NATURAL

FRUIT LOLLIES)

·       WATERMELON, CANTELOUPE MELON & PIEL DE SAPO

·       (ORGANIC) GRAPES

·       ORANGES, CLEMENTINES, TANGERINES, POMELO & GRAPEFRUIT (& THEIR JUICES)

·       (ORGANIC) STRAWBERRIES

·       MANGO

·       CUCUMBER

·       AVOCADO

·       TOMATOES

·       ALL LETTUCES

·       YELLOW, ORANGE AND RED BELL PEPPERS

·       COURGETTES

*** PLEASE DO NOT EAT GRAPEFRUIT OR DRINK GRAPEFRUIT JUICE IF YOU’RE TAKING ANY PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG ***

Could you get a fresher, more 😋ᵞᵁᴹᴹᵞ😋 list of foods? ENJOY!! 🌞🧘‍♀️🥗🍎🌱🔆

REMINDER: Alcohol, coffee, black tea, white tea, green tea, matcha & cocoa cola (or any drink containing caffeine) is DEHYDRATING (a 'diuretic' that makes your body lose water).