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dehydration nutrition and hydration week

Day 5 Nutrition and Hydration Week

18th March 2016

On today – Day 5 Nutrition and Hydration week we are looking further at dehydration. Its all very well to emphasize how much we should be drinking and that hydration matters, but how do we know if we are dehydrated? READ MORE HERE

The NHC say: “Water makes up to 60% of an adult’s and 75% of an infant’s body weight and performs crucial roles such as carrying nutrients and waste products between our major organs, helping regulate temperature, lubricating our joints and acting as a shock absorber.”

The NHS says: “Water makes up over two-thirds of the healthy human body. It lubricates the joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins, and keeps the skin healthy.”

(info sources are listed on the full blog here)

So hydration matters for all those things – carrying nutrients, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints, aiding digestion, flushing out toxins, keeping skin healthy….. its really important, BUT its also really understandable that keeping that level of water topped up in our system can be hard and we can easily become dehydrated. If we are exercising, in a hot climate, if we are ill or recovering, if we are simply not drinking enough we should be looking out for the early warning sign of simply – THIRST. Yep – you shouldn’t really ever feel that thirsty. Once you feel thirsty, you are probably already a little dehydrated.

After thirst comes:

Dry mouth,
Becoming light headed
Dizziness
Perhaps followed by tiredness
You will probably get a headache
You will also notice if you are dehydrated your urine will be darker in colour
And you will pee a lot less often

Severe dehydration will take on all these symptoms and more:

You may also feel unusually tired and lethargic
You may become confused
The dizziness may not pass if you are severely dehydrated
A weak and/or rapid pulse may be another symptom

These symptoms are very important to look out for in others too – if you know anyone complaining of these sorts of symptoms treat as dehydration – ie get them some water and/or cool them down. You may need to replace lost salts/electrolytes if the cause of the dehydration has been sweating (heat, exercise etc) so put a little salt and sugar into water to make up a solution for them to drink. *NOTE: Severe dehydration can become a medical emergency and require immediate attention, so please refer anyone with severe symptoms to a medical professional as soon as possible*

Day 4 Nutrition and Hydration Week

17th March 2016

Thirsty Thursday and Day 4 Nutrition and Hydration week we are sharing the full blog here with a focus on alcohol and (de)hydration: READ MORE

What about alcohol? It’s a fluid, its made of fruits and some even comes out of taps…

One of the most common questions when talking about hydration or more likely dehydration is the one of ALCOHOL. People looking for a hangover cure – if hangovers are caused by dehydration isn’t hydration the means to the end?

Not quite.

The NHC says: “Dehydration can occur as a result of drinking too much alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it makes you urinate more. If this fluid isn’t replaced you may become dehydrated, so drinking alcohol should be balanced with drinking non-alcoholic fluids, such as water”.

Simple. But you’ve tried to drink water in between beers, or match wine with soda water, mix spirits with soda and drink long drinks to get more fluid in that’s not just alcohol too. Doing that will help. Ensuring you are fully and properly hydrated before you know you will be drinking alcohol will help. Drinking water after alcohol consumption and before you sleep will help. And yes, gulping down a glass of water on waking will help too. BUT as alcohol is a diuretic, you will use the toilet more when you drink, you will rid yourself of more fluid than you take on board and topping up before, during and/or after the event will not help 100%. Sorry to break it to you. The only way to not get a hangover = not drink. No nonsense. Not fair.

The British Nutrition Foundation says: “Alcoholic drinks contain water, but drinking alcohol increases the amount of water you lose as urine, so drinks with a high alcohol content, such as wines and spirits, are not the best choice to stay hydrated. Normal strength beers, lagers and ciders also cause an increased loss of water as urine. However, because they are more dilute, drinking them causes a net gain in water overall. It is still important to keep alcohol consumption within the recommended limits (no more than 14 units per week for both men and women)”

And they make a great point. Think about the units of alcohol you’re drinking. Its recommended (in the UK) men should drink no more than 21 units of alcohol per week, no more than four units in any one day, and have at least two alcohol-free days a week. Women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, no more than three units in any one day, and have at least two alcohol-free days a week.

If you are a pregnant or lactating woman, my advice would be to avoid alcohol entirely. In my opinion it’s simply not worth the risk.

If you want to look into alcohol consumption / limits / risks etc further on Day 4 Nutrition and Hydration Week:

Drinkaware – https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/effects-on-the-body/why-does-alcohol-make-you-pee-more

And here is a simple breakdown from NHS change for life: http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/alcohol-lower-risk-guidelines-units.aspx

For more on day 4 Nutrition and Hydration week please see their website here: www.nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk

Nutrition and Hydration Week 2016

14th March 2016

Hi all – just wanted to draw your attention to Nutrition and Hydration week 2016 – starting today – Monday 14th March and lasts the full week. Whats it all about? Take a look here: www.nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk and pledge your support by emailing info@nutritionandhydrationweek.co.uk

For the 2nd year running, we are proud to support Nutrition & Hydration Week in raising awareness of not only good nutrition as we usually do, but the importance of good hydration too.

Do you know just how much water you should be drinking every day? Do you think you drink enough? Do you know what percentage of your body is made up of water and what happens when you become dehydrated? Do you know what causes dehydration? Did you know foods can hydrate too? Do you know someone that requires extra monitoring of their hydration – someone who may may be older/recovering from illness/sick/in hospital/requiring care? Someone involved in a sports/exercise/activity/training program? Do you know the importance of hydration on weight management? What about the effects of alcohol (dehydration)? We will be addressing these questions though the week via Facebook / Twitter @nononsensenita and Google + so for the answers please go like/follow/tweet/share/comment etc and let us know your thoughts on Nutrition and Hydration this week. You can also follow the @NHWeek Twitter feed for ongoing events and info this week.

Nutrition and Hydration Week 2016

This week 14th-20th March 2016 is Nutrition and Hydration Week 2016. We are proud to support Nutrition and Hydration Week for the 2nd year running and to show our support will be Tweeting and Posting hydration tips and info all week to help raise awareness of the importance of good hydration for all.