Dehydration is defined as an acute shortage of water and essential electrolytes in the body in which the body needs more fluids than are being inputted to function normally. Electrolytes are present in the human body and essential for the normal functioning of organs and cells. Each electrolyte plays a necessary role in your body’s overall health and function, and they work together to make sure that your body fluids are regulated.
There are four main types of electrolytes found in the body: Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Bicarbonate
Dehydration mostly caused because of abnormally high water loss due to issues such as high fever, heatwave, vomiting, diarrhea and intense activity. The heat makes you sweat, which cools you down, but that also means you’re constantly losing water and electrolytes.
Insufficient intake of water and other fluids while spending too much time outdoors in the heat is often the cause of dehydration in summer.
Dehydration can result in the following symptoms:
- Muscle fatigue
- Rapid heart rate
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Muscle cramps
Here are few of my favorite cold drinks that not only are good for preventing dehydration but also are perfectly refreshing cold drinks for hot summer time.
Vegetable- Apple juice
Apple juice is one of the most effective drinks that could balance the electrolytes through heat season or in case of dehydration arising from diarrhea. It is better to dilute the homemade apple juice with cold water and drink it.
Vegetable juice is also a very good source as they do not contain much of glucose and could easily fix the thirst in summer:
Recipe
- 6 fresh Celery stalks (Celery juice by juice maker)
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 apple
Mixed them in Mixer and make a smoothie
Laban Ayran
Laban is a traditional strained yogurt, liquid form. Laban Ayran is a healthy drink and it reduces the feeling of thirst. Drinking Laban makes the body cool as it contains high nutrients, calcium, proteins, vitamins.
Recipe:
- 5 cups of Laban
- 1 -2 cups of cold water to it
It is tastier if you add a touch of dry peppermint or dried dill or even fresh mint. Blend it and drink it
Tamarind Juice
Tamarind juice is extremely healthy. A nice balance of sweet and sour in every sip!
Tamarind is a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure:
Recipe:
- Shell tamarind
- Soak 2 cups of tamarind pulp in 2cups of warm water
- Lightly blend tamarind on PULSE to separate pulp from seed
- Drain liquid with nut milk bag or sieve
- Add 4 cups of water
Mixed in mixer and drink
Watermelon Juice
Watermelon is a yummy melon contains 92% of water. Watermelon is soaked with significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C and is also a good source of Potassium, but contains no sodium which makes it more suitable for hypertensive people:
Recipe:
- Blending watermelon pieces
- Add fresh mint leaves to it
- Cut and add slices of strawberry to it (optional)
Blend until smooth and keep it in the fridge till chilled out
Cucumber Mint Lemonade
One of the tastiest and cooling drinks to have during summer time.
Recipe:
- Add 4 cups of cold water into a blender
- Add 3-4 cucumbers
- Juice of 3 limes
- Fresh mint
Blend until smooth and refrigerate until chilled.
General Practitioner
Aster Clinic, Arabian Ranches
