Summer is right around the corner and what does that mean? Sun, fun, and warm and beautiful weather! It’s so easy to forget to stay hydrated will all of the soccer games, camping trips, grilling, and other outdoor activities going on – Yet it is so important to continue to keep our bodies hydrated, especially when we are out in the sun for long periods of time.

Did you know you are already dehydrated when you first begin feel thirsty? That’s why it’s very important to drink fluids throughout the day even when you don’t feel thirsty quite yet! 

Signs of dehydration according to Mayo Clinic:

Mild to moderate dehydration is likely to cause:

• Dry, sticky mouth
• Sleepiness or tiredness — children are likely to be less active than usual
• Thirst
• Decreased urine output
• No wet diapers for three hours for infants
• Few or no tears when crying
• Dry skin
• Headache
• Constipation
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

Severe dehydration, a medical emergency, can cause:

• Extreme thirst
• Extreme fussiness or sleepiness in infants and children; irritability and confusion in adults
• Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
• Little or no urination — any urine that is produced will be darker than normal
• Sunken eyes
• Shriveled and dry skin that lacks elasticity and doesn’t “bounce back” when pinched into a fold
• In infants, sunken fontanels — the soft spots on the top of a baby’s head
• Low blood pressure
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• No tears when crying
• Fever
• In the most serious cases, delirium or unconsciousness

“Unfortunately, thirst isn’t always a reliable gauge of the body’s need for water, especially in children and older adults. A better indicator is the color of your urine: Clear or light-colored urine means you’re well hydrated, whereas a dark yellow or amber color usually signals dehydration.”

Beverages To Keep You Hydrated:

Water, water, water!!! Water has no calories, no added sugar, and tastes fabulous on a warm day! Okay I shouldn’t kid myself I know not everyone likes water, but it truly is one of the best ways to stay hydrated! If water is too plain tasting for you, try flavoring it with any sugar free water flavoring agent, such as Crystal Light. Don’t worry about the aspartame, contrary to popular believe IT IS SAFE. SO safe in fact that you can have up to 19 PLUS cans of diet soda with aspartame every day for the rest of your life before you ever see any increase in your risk of cancer due to aspartame, or 110 packets of equal, etc. Shocked? I bet, because that isn’t what the media tells us. Disclaimer: not that I recommend you drink that much soda even if it is diet!

Did you know the study that scared us into thinking it was not safe was done on rats, RATS, now tell me how closely we are related to rats? Plus they were given extremely large quantities of aspartame to get the results they did. Finally, it is unethical to ever make a correlation to human health via a study done on rats. So, yes, an alternative sweetener such as aspartame is a better route than added sugar. Added sugar is the number one contributor to the obesity epidemic. In my last blog on the new dietary guidelines, which you can view Here you learned about how much added sugar was recommended, 50 grams per day. The average American is WAY over that.

For example, in one 20 Oz. bottle of Mountain DEW there is 77 grams of added sugar! Yikes and who drinks just one bottle? Not to mention it dehydrates you as the caffeine in it is a diuretic. Plus think about your teeth! Okay maybe you want to go more natural, I agree, but by just substituting added sugar for an alternative sweetener we are not really solving the problem. We are still giving into our sweet cravings, instead of using an alternative sweetener try fruit! That is all natural sugar as long as there has been nothing added to it, including honey my friends, yes honey is still an added sugar. Has anyone heard of infused water? It’s very trendy these days! Take your favorite fruits fresh or frozen, sometimes frozen is better and add it to your water for a fresh sweet taste without any added sugar. Try strawberry mango, mixed berry, cucumber, lemon, even sweet pepper! The sky is the limit! And be on the look out Coborn’s is coming out with its very own infused water program! Check out some of my favorite infused water recipes below:

After checking out these recipes, some of you may be thinking, “I thought Gatorade was the best due to its electrolytes.” You’re right, it does have electrolytes, but you don’t necessarily need them as long as you are acclimated to the climate and not doing crazy intense work outs in the extreme heat. But be careful Gatorade has added sugar… a lot of it, so be sure to choose the G2 it still has the electrolytes, without the added sugar! Stick to natural sugars in fruits and your hydration is sure to be set!

Remember on a normal day without the heat and activity we still need 8 glasses of water… glasses, not cups! So get your drink on, try out these fun summer recipes and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Cross your fingers that summer will be here before you know it!

Peace and Wellness

Ashley