CONNECTOR.AE 34 CONNECTOR.AE 35 Health and Wellness Health and Wellness Tips For Keeping Yourself Hydrated Munawara Yahaya from Nabta Health suggests these tips to ensure you are hydrated throughout the day. Listen To Your Body: Thirst is a signal, but don’t wait until you’re parched. Aim for consistent fluid intake throughout the day. Monitor Your Urine Colour: Pale yellow indicates good hydration, while dark yellow or amber suggests dehydration. Adjust For Activity Level And Climate: Increase fluid intake during exercise, hot weather, or illness when sweat loss is higher. Carry A Reusable Water Bottle: Having it handy serves as a reminder to drink and reduces reliance on single-use plastics. Flavour It Up: Infuse water with fruits, herbs, or vegetables for a refreshing twist. Dr Mustafa Saif from Dubai London Hospital also suggests, “Stay hydrated by drinking electrolyte-rich beverages during physical activity or hot weather. Take regular water breaks and wear lightweight clothing to regulate body temperature. Use reminders to ensure consistent hydration throughout the day.” Misconceptions About Hydration These are some misconceptions, Dr. Mustafa Saif from Dubai London Hospital highlights: • You only need to drink water when you’re thirsty. • You need to drink eight glasses of water per day. • Caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea don’t contribute to hydration. • Drinking too much water is always safe. • You only need to hydrate during physical activity. • Clear urine means you’re well-hydrated, while dark urine means you’re dehydrated. • Sports drinks are always necessary for hydration during exercise. In cases of severe dehydration, it’s crucial to seek immediate medical assistance. While awaiting help, lying down and elevating legs can aid blood flow to the brain. Offer small sips of water if conscious, avoiding large amounts quickly. Look out for a rapid heart rate, sunken eyes, and absence of urination for eight hours or more, as these can signal severe dehydration and necessitate urgent medical attention, adds Munawara Yahaya from Nabta Health. Importance Of Staying Hydrated Marah Odeh, Registered Clinical Dietitian at DP World’s Aviv Clinics adds, “Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. While the ideal fluid intake varies from person to person, a fiveyear study of over 15,000 participants between the ages of 20 and 50 found that 43% of men and 41% of women failed to meet the daily intake recommendations, and that they drank less as they got older. This tells us that we need to put a conscious effort towards identifying dehydration symptoms and implement strategies to increase our fluid intake.” Eat Water-rich Foods: Fruits and vegetables like watermelon, cucumber, and celery can contribute to your fluid intake. Sharing insights, Dr. Eman Al Marar, Family Medicine Consultant from Imperial College London Diabetes Centre added, “About 20%of your fluids come from foods you eat. Soups, juicy fruits and veggies, such as strawberries, spinach, kale, cucumbers and celery, all have high water content and are great sources of fluid. But, beware of foods high in sodium, such as packaged foods and salty snacks. While tasty, these can have the opposite effect.” Adding to this, Dr Asma Kamal from Mediclinic, Al Qusais says, “People often think drinking water is the best thing for hydration, which is true, but optimum hydration is a balance of water and salt in the body so the best thing to do is pay attention to your thirst cues and changes in colour of your urine. We have to adjust how much water and salt we consume according to our activity levels and weather conditions. Drinking too much water can sometimes lead to low salt levels in the blood which can also be dangerous.”
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