We have all been there. A hot summer afternoon of golf, an air show in Dayton, Ohio or a dragging tennis match on Saturday evening. One thing is common in all of these, that you likely remember these events for how you felt during and after it was done.
Some individuals who get dehydrated often feel the effects even more than others. Lightheadedness, that feeling of “blacking out”, cramping or just feeling drained out are all those typical signs of dehydration.
Most of us are good at picking up these signs but very few of us are good at how to prevent dehydration. Unless you are a meticulous planner and carry water or hydration fluid with you at every event, it is likely that dehydration will strike.
There are at least a few times every summer that I have wondered about what to eat or drink to avoid dehydration in the first place, so that I do not have to feel these aftereffects. Fortunately, there are water-rich foods naturally available that are excellent for preventing dehydration or rehydrating an individual quickly enough.
Dehydration is the loss of water (and electrolytes/minerals) from the body. Dehydration is very common and almost a normal element of life based on our evolution.
Luckily, living beings have the mechanism of thirst, which stimulates us to drink fluids and rehydrate. This can improve signs of dehydration quickly, as long as you hydrate with the right kind of fluids.
We have a whole section on dehydration, its causes and its side effects. Read more about dehydration here.
Signs of dehydration range from dry mouth, fatigue, muscle cramps, weakness, lightheadedness or dizziness. In those with heart disease, these can be serious and may trigger arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms).
So, if dehydration is common and can potentially be dangerous, it makes sense to have some common preventative measures to prevent it in the first place.
Eating the right foods and hydrating with the right fluids can help prevent dehydration, which brings us to the next point:
The answer intuitively is fluids—but which ones? Plain water, water with electrolytes, dry electrolyte powder mixes, juice, keto (no sugar) electrolyte drinks, coconut water or all of the above? Does it matter? How do you choose which fluid is best in preventing dehydration?
What to drink for dehydration besides water is not that seemingly obvious even though there are many choices available for hydration. But each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Water is good for light exercise and if you have nothing else at hand, grabbing that jug of water will at least prevent the immediate ill-effects of dehydration. But besides water, dehydration requires some replacement of electrolytes.
Sodium is abundantly floating in the blood, some of it bound to anions like chloride and bicarbonate. Loss of water with dehydration leads to loss of sodium as well just by virtue of sodium being a water-soluble electrolyte. So drinking electrolyte water is important to improve dehydration and is the primary reason why electrolyte-containing fluids work better for dehydration than just water.
Amongst electrolytes, the three vital ones to replace include sodium, magnesium and potassium. This group of electrolytes form the backbone of the MAGNAK® formula, are the best electrolyte containing drinks for dehydration as each of these electrolytes serves a distinct purpose in the human body and needs to be replenished quickly.
Notably, other fluids to drink when dehydrated could include coconut water although this is typically low in sodium, the most abundant electrolyte lost in sweat. Other options include sports drinks that are low in sugar (not the typical “ades..”) which have some sodium and potassium but these are typically low in magnesium.
So, if the question is “What's the best electrolyte drink for dehydration?”- The answer is an electrolyte infused water such as MAGNAK® that contains appropriate amounts of magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride at the minimum. A small amount of sugar can help drive sodium absorption in the gut and can help rehydrate quickly.
Fluids to drink when dehydrated should generally be rich in electrolytes, low in sugar and devoid of preservatives and artificial colors.
If possible, consider making an electrolyte drink at home, particularly in summers to get those vital electrolytes and water in the system before venturing out in the heat.
It isn’t surprising that there are many natural foods that have a significant amount of water content in them that can be very good for you when you are dehydrated. A few examples of foods to eat when you are dehydrated include:
These foods are rich in nutrients and trace minerals as well as in water and can help significantly with dehydration.
An advantage of eating foods for hydration is that in addition to water, these replace vitamins, electrolytes and trace minerals. Skimmed milk can also provide some protein. No wonder, some of these are termed complete or superfoods.
Regular intake of these water-rich foods can prevent dehydration or treat it quickly if it happens. A routine practice to incorporate during summer is to have a healthy snack of cucumbers and watermelons after an outdoor event. In adults or kids, these foods can help recover from dehydration within minutes.
Additionally, there are some foods that should be avoided during dehydration- e.g. salty chips, salsa, large amounts of cheese, pretzels and bread are not particularly good foods during dehydration. These typically lack a good amount of water content and can make dehydration worse.
Juices and sodas that are loaded with sugar also are not good when you are dehydrated. Concentrated sweets prevent absorption of nutrients, water and electrolytes from the stomach into the blood system and can make dehydration worse.
If you are an athlete who works out in the heat for hours, dehydration can strike and can present at times, with muscle cramps. For an endurance athlete, MAGNAK® provides all the necessary electrolytes that are needed.
The magnesium-rich electrolyte powder effectively can ease muscle cramping during endurance workouts. Order yours today!
