Summer Smarts: Staying Hydrated, Avoiding Heat Related Illnesses, Part III

In the last two blogs we looked over:

1. What is dehydration/heat related illness & what is happening in our bodies.
2. What to look for when we are dehydrated
3. The Dangers of being dehydrated.

In this last and final blog of our 3 part series on Hydration we will look at ways that we can stay hydrated with our families! I hope that you will be trying some of these fun tips at home!

Taking regular breaks is a no brainier when playing in the sun with our kids and animals. But sometimes it can be hard, especially when the pool is open! Try to make it a part of your routine. If you are outside for a few hours give the kids a fun activity to head back in the house. Maybe grab an ice cream, a fruit bar, or a bottle of water.

Stay away from those pre-packaged sugary drinks. Yes they are always so tempting, and often they look very healthy with all those pictures of tropical fruits and beach scenery. In reality that sugar is not helping you much when you are out in the sun. Instead make some cucumber or coconut water with the family, and then place it in a pitcher or a dispenser. It looks quite fancy and your kids won’t know it’s healthy! You can even take this a step further and make your kids a nonalcoholic beverage or fruit infused water with a mini umbrella and a cucumber slice right in the cup! They will love it and not even notice that they lost the sugar.

Add more water and fluids at other parts of the day or during meals! Oatmeal for breakfast, with a glass of milk. Cold smoothies at lunch time, or even a cold soup! Add more veggies and fresh fruit during the day. I guarantee you the kids and the spouse will not bicker about a few slices of watermelon!

Lastly, teach your kids early about the importance of water. If you set the example then you will not have to worry about them understanding the need for proper hydration. This means always having a bottle or a glass on hand during meals, or traveling.

We really hope that you enjoyed Dr. Hebdon’s three part blog series on Dehydration! As always remember that at our office here in Dickson we can always share more strategies for better health. Also, check out the references provided!

References

1. Miller, V. S., & Bates, G. P. (2010). Hydration, hydration, hydration. Annals of occupational hygiene, 54(2), 134-136.
2. Thomas, D. R., Cote, T. R., Lawhorne, L., Levenson, S. A., Rubenstein, L. Z., Smith, D. A., ... & Council, D. (2008). Understanding clinical dehydration and its treatment. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 9(5), 292-301.
3. Mayo Clinic. (2022). Dehydration Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086
4. Glazer, J. L. (2005). Management of heatstroke and heat exhaustion. American family physician, 71(11), 2133-2140.