Whether you’re vacationing on a tropical island or just hanging out in your backyard, chances are you are spending a lot of time outside this summer. As the temperature increases, so does your risk of getting dehydrated. To beat the summer heat, you must keep your body hydrated. Proper hydration is not only good for your brain, your mood, and your body weight, but it’s also essential for your heart. Your heart is constantly working, pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood a day. By staying hydrated – i.e. drinking more water than you are losing, you are helping your heart do its job. A hydrated heart is able to pump blood more easily, allowing the muscles in your body to work even better.

Dehydration Symptoms

Dehydration happens when your body isn’t getting enough fluids. Dehydration causes strain on your heart. The amount of blood circulating through your body, or blood volume, decreases when you are dehydrated. To compensate, your heart beats faster, increasing your heart rate and causing you to feel palpitations. Also your blood retains more sodium, making it tougher for it to circulate through your body.

You can usually tell when you’re dehydrated, one of the most accurate signs is both color and volume of your urine. Some common symptoms of dehydration may include:

• Decrease in energy

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Longer post-workout recovery

• Upset or burning stomach

How much water should you drink to stay hydrated?

It really depends on how much your body needs. Some situations where you should drink more water include:

• If you are exercising or doing other physical activities.

• If you have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.

• If you are showing signs of dehydration, such as dizziness or weakness.

Hydration is important over any period of time – days, weeks, or even months. It’s not really possible to “catch up” if you go awhile without drinking enough fluids. To keep your tank full, some doctors recommend that men consume 100 ounces of water daily, and women consume 70 ounces. So, each day you go without drinking enough fluids, your supply goes down until you risk getting heat exhaustion or severe muscle cramps. Remember, these guidelines are based on normal activity levels, and should increase with more physical exertion.

How to Stay Hydrated

Here are a few tricks to keep your tank full:

• Schedule it! Have a glass of water first thing in the morning and one hour before you go to bed.

• Include a healthy-sized drink with every meal.

• Avoid sugary drinks, soda, or alcohol.

• More is not always better! Too much water can leave you feeling bloated.

• Get most of your fluids from drinking. However, try fruits and veggies that are high in water content, including pineapple, watermelon, blueberries, pears, grapefruit, cucumber, lettuce, celery, and tomatoes. etc.