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Water the heat and stay cool throughout summer

Dubai - Just like choosing your food, the choice of your drinks can make the difference between how you feel and how it affects your body's water balance.

The long days of summer bring us warm sunny days but also increase the risk for dehydration, headaches, and fatigue all day long. However, plenty of fluids, fresh fruits, and vegetables along with some simple rules can easily help you beat the heat, stay healthy and fit while the temperatures soar!
Beverages are essential to staying hydrated in the summer heat. Whether they are a part of a meal or in between; a refreshing drink can help you rejuvenate just when you begin to wilt with it. Just like choosing your food, the choice of your drinks can make the difference between how you feel and how it affects your body's water balance.
The ideal drink in the summer is either pure drinking water or those that provide health benefits and replace minerals and electrolytes with few calories from sugar and no preservatives, chemicals and preferably organic.
Experts at Weightmonitor UAE share some tips on how to stay hydrated this summer:
Drinking beverages with meals
Many of us are unsure as to whether it's fine to drink beverages with meals. The truth is that there is no need to separate beverages from solid foods, rather, sip in moderation. A plain glass of room temperature water or some green tea or soup are fine with meals-better still a squeeze of lime or lemon can enhance iron and calcium uptake from food, besides adding vitamin C.
How much should one drink?
Another eternal debate is how much one should drink? As per recommendations many would be guilty of not drinking enough. An adult body requires an average of about 2-2.5 litres (8-10 glasses) of fluid daily to make adequate urine and stay in balance.
Inadequate fluid intake can lead to dehydration 
Thirst may not be a reliable indicator of your fluid needs. Inadequate fluid intake could lead to dehydration. Some of its early signs are poor concentration, lethargy, fatigue and dry mouth. Chronic fluid insufficiency can lead to hyper-filteration in the kidneys leading to renal disease or stones. Severe dehydration can be dangerous with serious health consequences like nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness and can even be fatal.
Easy homemade summer beverages
Vegetable juices, buttermilk, coconut or lime water, and herbal teas are loaded with electrolytes, minerals, and antioxidants which help to fight diseases. They have healing and restorative properties and make simple natural ways to enhance health and vitality. Bael and rose sherbet, lemonade, mintade, mango mojito, barley or, smoothies, litchi juice, cucumber and mint soup, chamomile tea, are great summer coolers.
When calorie counting, go sugar-free and use alternative sweeteners which taste just as good. Green tea is advisable especially for weight loss. Boost your immunity with the green power in cabbage, spinach, lemon, and coriander. These help with hydration to immune boosting, detoxifying and cleansing tonics.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com