Hydration is a very vital part of our existence. Staying properly hydrated can be the difference between life and death. As a matter of fact, staying hydrated can increase your chances of not contracting the Corona virus. It is always advisable to keep your respiratory tract moist. It is the start of the weekend, and you need to stay hydrated even while in isolation.
What is Hydration?
Hydration is the process of replacing water in the body. Hydration can be done through drinking water, eating ice chips, eating foods that have high water content, drinking other fluids or an intravenous or IV line. If you are hydrated, then you are dehydrated. Dehydration is when you lack the adequate water levels that your body needs to function properly and optimally.
There are signs that show that a person is dehydrated. These signs include muscle cramps, confusion, rapid pulse, and headaches. In order to get your body back into its normal state, one has to go through the process of replacing the missing water by hydrating.
There are different ways or methods to hydration.
The first way involves simply drinking water. Another way to hydrate the body is by eating ice chips. The ice chips will melt thereby supplying the body with water. Other consumable liquids such as coffee, tea, lemonade, soda, etc, provide water to help with hydration too. In addition, even the foods that we eat contain some amount of water.
Some foods contain more water than others. Foods such as lettuce, some vegetables, and most fruits are mostly composed of water. So, eating any of these is another way to hydrate.
Levels of Dehydration.
Dehydration can sometimes be so severe that it requires medical attention. At this level of dehydration, the most common method used in the medical facility for hydration is administering fluids through an IV or intravenous line.
This supplies water directly into the bloodstream through a vein, which hydrates the body even faster than drinking the water. Another method used in medical facilities is to inject fluids directly into the tissues of the body for it to be absorbed. This is the slowest process of hydration.
How Much Water Is Enough?
Contrary to what most people believe, there isn’t a set amount of water that everybody should drink in a given period of time. The amount that it takes to hydrate one person is different from the amount that it would take to hydrate another person. There are factors that determine how much water a person should drink. These factors include body composition, activity level, and the amount of water lost through sweating and breathing.
Examples of hydrating drinks include;
Skim milk, Whole milk,
Iced tea, Regular tea, Orange juice, Soda, Diet soda, Sports drinks and of course Water.
When consuming other alternatives to water, it is important to be careful, because when high amounts of sugar hit your small intestine, they start pulling water out of your body. So therefore, a glass of water is still a better option than a Soda.
Why is hydration important?
Drinking enough water each day is beneficial to your body in many ways; Hydration helps to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Additionally, being well-hydrated also improves your quality of sleep, your overall cognition, and even your mood.