Winter Dehydration: 5 Tips to Keep Winter Dehydration at Bay
By Nmami Agarwal 07-Dec 2021 Reading Time: 4 Mins
With the dry and cold weather, dehydration can take place, since our bodies lose water during the cold weather as well. We may sweat out from the extra layers of clothing, and the sweat from all the activity tends to evaporate at a faster rate during winter.
During winter, even breathing in cold or dry air can result in greater water loss through respiration, some other contributing factors include decreased humidity, lack of thirst signals, increased fluid loss with frequent colds, and flu.
Winter dehydration can result in muscle cramping, fatigue, elevated heart rate, headaches. Good hydration can lead to a boost in immunity, helps focus, prevents the skin from drying out, and even help in making the hair silkier and smoother.
A few tips to beat winter dehydration are-
- Warm drinks
Drinking warm water is a great idea for winters, but you can always bring a change like herbal tea, or warm lemon water, or the most famous comfort drink, hot chocolate. Having a good amount of liquids during the winters is necessary as the hydration needs go up. - Eat your Water
20-30% of the hydration comes from the diet, including fruits and vegetables like watermelons, cucumbers, and tomatoes all that contain about 80-95% of just water can be a great addition to your palate during such times, the quantity of water content in fruits decreases as the seasonal availability settles in - Season of Soups
Winter is the time to enjoy the perfect amount of soups, and including it in the diet, the benefits of including soups are many like hydration, taste and health benefits of including various vegetables means more antioxidants and minerals - Avoid any foods and beverages that could lead to dehydration
Drinking caffeine-rich drinks, or alcoholic beverages, or that perfect latte might be tempting during the winters but we can’t forget that these kinds of drinks can be a major reason for dehydration during the winter season. Drinks loaded with caffeine can act as mild diuretics and also promotes fluid loss which can be a huge issue for the body and lead to major dehydration, cutting back on such liquids can help to maintain good hydration status, instead drink beverages that contain electrolytes like coconut water, or a sports drink which is also great to prevent dehydration. - Staying alert
Stay conscious and remember to hydrate yourself like drinking water, set reminders if you need to, and follow timetables or adjust accordingly.
Footnote-
A key to a healthy life is hydration as our bodies are mostly made of water, and don’t over-hydrate yourself as that can lead to problems as well.