Staying Hydrated in Summer

Keep your cool this summer by staying hydrated with cold water infusions. Our guide will show you how to drink more water and how to keep your body well hydrated.

Summer is a great time of year to get outside and make the most of the warmer weather. Going out to play sport, have a BBQ or just lie in the sun, is often too inviting to say no to, but by heading out you are increasing the rate that you get dehydrated. Remember that adults should be consuming over 1 litre of water a day, and this increases in warmer weather!

If you struggle to drink enough water then it is really important you try and increase your intake during the summer months and keep track of the various activities you take part in, as these might mean you need to drink more! So, what should you be watching out for?

Sweat

Sweating is our bodies go-to method to cool us down. We secrete a water-rich solution on to our skin, which then helps regulate our temperature. But whilst we might feel cooler, we are losing water that we need to replace. If you find yourself sweating, make sure you take it as a sign to drink more.

Urine

The colour of our urine is a good indicator of our hydration levels. Urine is made up of waste product that our digestive system has been unable to process. If you see yourself excreting urine of a dark colour, or with a strong smell, it is a sign that there is very little water content in your pee. If you drink more water, some of it will make its way through your gut and end up diluting your urine, giving it a lighter colour.

Track Water Intake

Drinking well over a litre of water a day can be a challenge for some of us but settling yourself little goals is a good way to keep hydrated. It is not only water that counts towards this goal, tea, coffee and fruit juice are other drinks which are high in water content.

Think about how many cups of tea or coffee you have a day, and then find a water bottle that holds a known amount of water. Add these up each day to find out how much you are drinking.

Get a Water Bottle

A great way to take your water intake tracking to the next level is to get a water bottle. This helps you to know how much you are drinking as most bottles tell you how much they hold, but it also allows you to take it on the go with you.

Set yourself a morning and an afternoon target for how many bottles of water you drink and then you can stick to it whatever you are doing.

What Should I Be Drinking?

We have looked at how you can monitor how much you need to be drinking, but what should you be drinking?

Water

Drinking water as your default will help your hydration levels. You can of course drink alternatives, but ultimately it is their water content that will make the difference. If you are out doing sport, then you may want to consider a sports specific drink, but only if you require the electrolytes.

Limit Caffeine

Caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee or other soft drinks will all hydrate you, but not to the same extent as water. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, meaning that it will make you pee out water more quickly.

If you want to drink caffeine, limit your daily intake to 1 or 2 cups a day, and consider switching up your usual cup of coffee for lower caffeine option such as fruit & herbal Infusions or decaf.

Flavoured Water

Flavoured waters are often high in sugar, and so consuming large quantities of these drinks are not so good for your health, but they will hydrate you well.

If you don’t enjoy the taste of water or find yourself drinking so much water you want to change things up, try a sugar free cold water infusion. They deliver flavour to the water without the added sugar.

Easy on the Alcohol

Heading outside with a beer, cider or glass of wine is a lovely way to spend a warm evening with friends, but alcohol will dehydrate you due to its diuretic properties. Managing your alcohol intake is always going to be better for your health than drinking too much, but also consider switching your first drink up for water or a soft drink to hydrate yourself before you start on the booze.