I trust that you’re really basking in the glory of our beautiful Spring weather, the first week of daylight savings and the blast of warm weather we’re having this week.

Today’s message is a serious one for you to make sure that you stay hydrated today.  They are talking about this October being the hottest start to a Spring / Summer on record and temperatures are expected to rise rapidly to 35oC today.

Because the heat is coming so quickly, many of us don’t consume enough water to stay properly hydrated on days such as this.

Why is hydration important?  Approximately 60% of our body is made up of water and is used by every system.  An important role of water in our body is to control body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

Here’s my tips to keep you hydrated today:

  1. Keep a drink bottle with you at your desk, in your car, at home on the bench, wherever you go!
  2. Sip your water constantly through the day, aiming to consume 1.5 to 2 litres of water. Ensure that you’re consuming water at least every 20 minutes.
  3. Stay out of the heat unless you absolutely need to be in it.  Make sure you cover up and stay in the shade if you must be outdoors.
  4. Make sure your kids drink plenty of water today too – get their drink bottles out and encourage them to drink frequently, at least every 20 minutes, otherwise they’ll just drink when they’re really thirsty, so already dehydrating.
  5. Make sure you leave plenty of water out for your pets and call in on your elderly family and friends to ensure they’re also staying cool and drinking water throughout the day.
  6. DON’T leave kids or pets in the car!
  7. Although nutritionally not great, drinks such as low calories soft drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks can also help you stay hydrated. If you want to lower the sugar content dilute them with water. Milk is another source of hydration.
  8. If you’re sick of drinking water, try eating pieces of fruit.  Watermelon is 90% water, but other fruits such as citrus, melons and apples also have high water contents. If fruit is not your thing, try some vegetables such as cucumber, celery, carrots and tomatoes.  Although they don’t have the same level of water content, are still nutrient rich sources of water.
  9. Limit the intake of coffee and alcohol.  Both of these can contribute to your dehydration.
  10. For a different flavour, try sparkling water and add some of your own flavours such as lime, orange, lemon, mint or different berries to satisfy your taste buds.
  11. How can you tell if you’re getting dehydrated? Easy, check you wee!  The more yellow it is, the more dehydrated you are.  If you’re urinating every 2 to 4 hours and it is lighter in colour, you are probably well hydrated.

So enjoy our warm weather, but stay safe!