The high temperatures caused by the heat wave can alter the vital functions of the body, so it is essential to constantly replace the losses of water and mineral salts generated by sweating by increasing the intake of drinks and foods with a high content of in water. Recommendations to protect health once morest heat. For Graduates in Nutrition Valentina Franchi; Delfina Pintos and Lorena Zilloni.
Food allies once morest the heat wave
Adapting the diet during days of extreme temperatures can make the heat more bearable and prevent avoidable risks. Betting on light meals and foods with high water content can be of great help.
Between 70 and 80 percent of hydration comes from beverages, while the remaining 20-30 percent is obtained from food.
Regarding meals, fruits and vegetables have a high water proportion, highlighting watermelon, melon, strawberries, apples, grapes, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, broccoli or carrots.
To a lesser extent, but also helpful, are dairy products and cereals such as rice, as well as cooked legumes, some fish, eggs and lean meats. The percentage of water in all of them is above 40%, and some reach up to 80%. Natural or homemade fruit and vegetable juices are also helpful due to their high water content.
It is recommended to avoid substances such as caffeine and alcohol as they increase water loss in urine, due to its diuretic effect.
Other precautions to take into account
– The summer season and especially the extreme heat, deserve to keep in the refrigerator those foods that can spoil due to high temperatures. It is important to check the temperature and control the proper functioning of the refrigerator.
– Another essential point is to ensure that food products do not lose the cold chain and protect food that may be outside the refrigerator in clean and fresh places.
– It is necessary to throw away perishable foods (including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers) that have been out of the cold for 2 hours or more. The same should be done with all canned foods whose containers are open, damaged or inflated.
– Water for consumption must always be safe and be in the refrigerator, correctly packaged in clean and closed bottles or drums, away from heat sources.
Regarding water intake
The need to consume water varies throughout life and depends on different situations such as chronic stress, physical exercise, extreme hot temperatures and fever, among others.
More than half of a person’s body weight is due to water, so if these levels are low, dehydration can present itself in different ways.
Tiredness, headache, changes in mood and concentration problems are some mild symptoms. On the other hand, the person may feel thirsty, dry mouth, infrequent urination (less than 4 times a day), dizziness, among others.
It is recommended:
– Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink: the feeling of thirst is a first indication of dehydration; that is why it is important to drink before reaching this state. A good tip for this is to measure the amount of liquid that is ingested in number of bottles. Setting goals is a good first step to get used to eating the necessary daily consumption.
– Reinforce hydration when doing physical activity: if physical activity is carried out during very hot days, it is essential to stay hydrated before, during and following having done so.
– Do not forget the daily intake of water: consume the recommended amount of water per day according to age and the needs of each one to stay properly hydrated.
An important recommendation: it is preferable that water intake be mainly in the morning, noon, followingnoon and not so much at night “to rest without having to go to the bathroom.”
How to know if the state of hydration is correct?
There are 2 very simple methods:
? Urine color test: consists of observing the color of the urine and comparing it with the color scale of the same. Our state of hydration will be correct if it is between the values of 1 to 3: above value 3, we must ingest liquid to recover the adequate levels of hydration.
? Sweat test: consists of weighing yourself before and following practicing sports. Generally the amount of weight lost following exercise is equal to the liters of fluid loss that must be replaced.
How to hydrate while exercising?
before exercise
? Check that the state of hydration is adequate with one of the methods described above.
? If dehydration is detected, drink liquid before beginning sports practice.
? Water intake is sufficient for pre-exercise hydration.
during exercise
? Activities longer than 30-45 minutes: it is important to rehydrate. 0.5-1 lt/hour of liquid. Drink sips of 200-250 ml/serving instead of all the liquid at once as the body does not absorb it efficiently in this way.
? Activities longer than 1-2 hours, you can opt for sports drinks. They are designed to replenish water and electrolytes lost through sweat in sports and provide carbohydrates that allow optimal performance to be maintained during sports practice.
? Activities longer than 2-3 hours and especially at high temperatures: the use of salt capsules may be necessary.
? Take breaks every 15-20 minutes during the activity to take small sips of water.
AFTER the exercise
? At the end of the practice of the exercise, 1.5 times the lost weight must be replaced. For example, if between the beginning and the end of the activity, you lose 1kg of body weight, you should drink 1.5lt of water.
In addition, it is recommended to incorporate foods that provide mineral salts, such as a fruit. If no food is ingested, a sports drink may be used.
Water requirements
In general terms, it is recommended that a sedentary person consume between 2 and 2.5 liters of water a day, which is equivalent to 8-10 glasses. In the case of an active person, this requirement increases to 2.5-3.0lt a day, which is equivalent to regarding 10-12 glasses a day, apart from the fluid intake that is carried out during sports activity.
homemade sports drink
Although there are specific brands of isotonic drinks on the market, it should be considered that they contain artificial colors and sugars whose consumption is not recommended since they are related to increased metabolic problems and counterproductive effects on health.
For this reason, we share a homemade recipe to make your own rehydration drink:
Ingredients
? 1 liter of water
? 5 g baking soda (1 teaspoon)
? 6 g sea salt (1 teaspoon)
? 2 tablespoons of honey (50 g)
? Juice of 2 lemons or oranges
Preparation
? Add the ingredients in a jug and mix them.
These are some of the tips that can be taken into account to get used to staying hydrated and manage to incorporate the habit, which undoubtedly implies an improvement in the quality of life.
Prevent heat stroke
– Do not perform physical activity in the central hours of the day. Avoid exposure to the sun on very hot days.
– Avoid practicing outdoor sports in the hottest hours.
– Stay as long as possible in cool, shaded or heated places, and refresh yourself whenever you need to.
– Wear light, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing that allows perspiration.
– Stay hydrated. Take agua frequently, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
– Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks, which contribute to the increase in body temperature.
– Avoid very heavy and fatty meals, which increase calories during digestion.
– Eating light meals that help replace the salts lost through sweat, such as salads, fruits, vegetables and juices, among others.
– Editor’s note: Article published in the Educational Material of Icarus Centro de Salud & Longevidad, for patients of Pios-Pec and Pios-Pec PER, assigned for publication in AIM.