Dehydration Nation: Pregnant women need an extra 2 glasses of water a day in heatwave
Top tips for mothers on how stay hydrated in the one of the UK’s longest heatwaves
With the consistently hot weather showing no sign of letting up, and the Met Office issuing an amber “heat health watch warning” urging people to either stay out, or avoid the sun - keeping properly
hydrated should be at the top of everyone’s priority list. However, new research by
Actiph Water
reveals an overwhelming nine out ten (90%) Brits aren’t getting the recommended amount of water a day.
More so, only 19% actually know they should be drinking between 1.4 – 1.8 litres of water a day, and one in ten (10%) know that they only drink a paltry 250ml each day.
During pregnancy, expectant woman are recommended to drink an extra 2 glasses of water each day, whilst women who are breastfeeding need an extra 3 to 4 glasses of water each day.
The effects of dehydration, specifically in hot, dry and humid weather cannot be understated and despite 72% saying they experience dehydration‐relation fatigue, two‐thirds (66%) will reach for a fizzy or caffeinated drink instead of water.
Jamie Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Actiph Water, suffered from hallucinations from dehydration when setting two Guinness World Records rowing 4,200 miles across the Indian Ocean. “The loss of power through dehydration was incredible, often
to the point of passing out, so I understand the impact it can have on performance and wellbeing during this heatwave.”
59% of us fail to realise that these choices in refreshment can actually exacerbate the problem; and the high sugar content not only adds to the calories but can often give people unwelcome jitters. For six in ten (60%), this can become a vicious cycle of being dehydrated and then not having the motivation to go and rehydrate.
TOP TIPS:
1.
Always make sure that you carry a water bottle with you when you leave home, and keep it topped up when at work.
2.
Stay out of the sun as much as possible, particularly during the hours of 11-3, if you have to go out, keep in the shade.
3.
Keep hydrated with these five fruits that have a high water content: watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches and oranges.
4.
Make sure you up your intake of water when exercising to keep yourself hydrated- You can lose a lot of fluid when you exercise – as much as a litre or two an hour.
5.
Drink plenty of water a couple of hours before bed and upon waking.
An immediate indicator that you could be dehydrated is if your pee is not a pale clear colour, you feel uncharacteristically tried, or hungrier than usual as dehydration is often confused as hunger.
Watch our video with new mum Pollyanna Sabin to find out how she stays hydrated, and the effects dehydration has on your body.
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/LwdbN-p4nFg
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