It is finally summer time, and we all know what that means…dehydration central! We lose water in our body all throughout the day, especially in the summer time heat! Our body’s natural way of cooling us off is sweating, and when we are in warm weather all day, it will produce more sweat in an effort to cool us off. So, when we don’t intake enough fluid to replace those fluids that are lost, we get dehydrated. It is that simple!

Some common signs and symptoms of dehydration are:

• Extreme thirst
• Dry mouth
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Little to no urination
• Rapid heart beat

None of that sounds very fun to me, so I have come up with a few helpful tips to stay hydrated!

1. Divide your body weight in half and that is how many ounces of water you should drink each day! (i.e. If you weigh 120 pounds, then you should drink 60 ounces of water a day)
2. Eat fruits and vegetables; many fruits and vegetables have a lot of water in them which is another great way to stay hydrated. Some fruits and vegetables that have the most water content are cucumber, watermelon, celery, pineapple, cantaloupe, lettuce, and tomatoes.
3. Check your skin! Pinch the skin on the back of your hand, if it takes a while for your skin to return to normal, you may be dehydrated.

These simple tips can help you keep track of your hydration as well as avoid dehydration! Drink up! xoxo