Sip water throughout the day in this heat
The rain may have come but the temperatures are still up there, so we still need to ensure that we're keeping hydrated.
Independent consultant to the Natural Hydration Council - Dr Emma Derbyshire PhD, RNutrn Nutrition Consultant, advises:
On average most people lose more than half a litre of sweat per day, and this increases with hot weather or exercise , so it’s important to drink enough to replenish your loss. If in doubt, the Food Standards Agency provides a useful guide of 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day for the average person.
The rate that sweat evaporates from the skin can determine how dehydrated we become. Lack of humidity causes moisture from our bodies to evaporate at a quicker rate than normal.
Water makes up 60% of our body weight and even mild dehydration (about 2% loss of body weight) can result in headaches, fatigue and reduced physical and mental performance.
Heat-stroke can be a life-threatening illness, defined as a body temperature over 40 degrees Celsius (normal core body temperature is 37ºC). Although there are many factors that contribute to heat-stroke, including pre-existing illness, older age and lack of acclimatisation to heat, dehydration is also a possible contributing factor.
Water should therefore be consumed at regular intervals throughout the day and evening when visiting hot climates, and care taken to limit exposure to the hot sun, especially in the middle of the day.
Customers using two of London’s busiest Tube stations, Green Park and Oxford Circus, will benefit from the station cooling systems that were installed last year, but for all other stations, TFL advise passengers to carry a bottle of water with them, and not to board any trains if they feel unwell.
Tagged in Health Healthy Body Hydration