Every once in a while we find ourselves dehydrated. It is in such times that we should know how to rehydrate ourselves. Since 70% of the human body is made up of water, naturally it needs water to survive, even more than it needs food. There are many rehydration products and treatments that you can use. What are the best rehydration methods? There’s no one right answer. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective rehydration treatments.
WATER
Obviously, drinking water is the best of all hydration drinks if you have a regular intake and you’re not working out or sweating a lot. Not only does it not contain any calories but it helps your skin rejuvenate and is also crucial for your muscle health.
That being said, water might not always work if a person is dehydrated, though it is the best place to start. For one, you should not gulp down glass after glass of water. If you drink water too fast, your body will not be able to absorb and use it effectively, causing your kidneys to expel most of it. And, this means you will have to make multiple trips to the restroom, even if you haven’t had much water to drink.
Frequent urination inhibits the process of rehydration, compromising the purpose for which you were drinking water in the first place. So, to put it simply, drink 1 or 2 glasses of water, taking small sips initially. The best part is you can carry it around easily, and rest assured, no one will pick on you for drinking ‘too much water’. If plain water isn’t your thing, you can add a dose of sugar or salt.
ORAL REHYDRATION SALTS (ORS)
One of the best known rehydration methods is oral rehydration salts, commonly referred to as ORS. The formula is a mix of salts, essential mnerals and glucose that adds the electrolyte mix to water the body needs for fast effective rehydration.
O.R.S Hydration Tablets are based on this scientific formula and formulated to World Health Organisation oral rehydration standards. Traditionally, oral rehydration salts have always come as a powder in sachets, but with O.R.S Hydration Tablets all you have to do is drop, dissolve and drink in normal drinking water. The same proven hydration but with less mess.
FOOD/WATER WITH ELECTROLYTES
Electrolytes in the bloodstream are responsible for regulating and stabilising your blood pressure level and also for maintaining optimal fluid balance within the body. Dehydration, more often than not, depletes the body of electrolytes, which can prove harmful over time.
Every time you engage in strenuous physical activity, it is a given that you will lose electrolytes through perspiration. Therefore, compensating for the loss is extremely important. There are numerous electrolytes your body needs, the foremost being sodium. As you would know, water is a foremost source of sodium.
Hence, drinking water with electrolytes is perhaps the best rehydration method. Once the electrolyte levels are restored, you will have more energy and your system can go about restoring the hydration levels as well.
Another important electrolyte is potassium, which you can easily get through fruits and vegetables which are rich in water. In other words, you can eat foods which are rich in electrolytes along with drinking electrolyte-rich rehydration beverages. In fact, experts recommend combining food and water for rehydration to achieve the desired results.
To ease the process for you, here’s a look at some foods which have high water content:
- Grapefruit
- Watermelon
- Fruit juices and sports drinks
- Smoothies
SPORTS DRINKS
Carrying on from the previous section, sports drinks are an effective option for rehydration. In fact, they can almost be referred to as rehydration products, given that they have high electrolyte content. Drinking sports drinks will not only hydrate your body but will also ensure that your body retains the fluids you are consuming. This proves more effective when it comes to rehydration and can be a useful treatment for dehydration. The best part is you can easily find sugar-free alternatives to sports drinks, the foremost among them being coconut water.
Of course, with a plethora of sports drinks available on the market, it might be a tad difficult for you to choose the right one. As a guideline, you should check the label. Any sports drink which contains at least 20 mmol per liter of sodium is a good choice.
AVOID ALCOHOL AND EXCESSIVE CAFFEINE
Now moving on to things you don’t need to do for rehydration – avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol intake is a widely known rehydration method. The reason for this is quite obvious: caffeine and alcohol both cause you to urinate more frequently, which is a known cause of dehydration.
As your body is unable to retain the fluids you have consumed, you will find it much difficult to rehydrate yourself. This is why it is often said that water is the best beverage for rehydration and coffee and sodas can actually cause more harm than good
What life takes out, O.R.S Hydration puts back in.
