Winters are a time where most of us reduce our water intake. It’s common to feel less thirsty when the temperature drops. Unfortunately, it’s very very easy to become dehydrated during the winter season. Dehydration happens when your body doesn’t have enough fluid to function properly. Regardless of how the temperature is outside, you need to drink enough fluid to keep your body functioning properly.
Your body loses water every time you sweat, urinate, or have a bowel movement. During winter, it can be hard to keep track of how much water your body is losing. Even when you’re not sweating, you lose water through your skin, but the dry indoor heating can cause you to become dehydrated.
Lack of water not only causes dehydration, but also increases the risk of kidney stones, UTIs, and constipation.
Our bodies are made up of 60-70% water, so we need to stay hydrated to regulate bodily functions. Water is essential for:
- Transporting nutrients throughout our body
- Removing waste from the body
- Boosting immunity
- Hydrating your tissues and organs
- Maintaining blood pressure
- Maintain body temperature
- Preventing hypothermia in winters
Signs of Dehydration in Winter Season
Apart from the obvious signs of feeling thirsty, there are some other indicators that show you’re dehydrated. The easiest way to measure if you’re dehydrated is the color of your urine, which should ideally be pale yellow or clear color.
Some other signs of dehydration includes:
- Constipation
- Dry mouth
- Chapped lips and skin
- Headaches
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
- Feeling faint or dizzy
- Increased heart rate
If you feel like there’s a decreased urine output, fever between 101-103 F, or diarrhea for more than 2 days then these are signs of severe dehydration.
How Much Water Do I Need in a Day?
The recommended amount of water varies from person to person and the factors include age, gender, activity level, altitude, weather, and overall health. An individual’s health conditions require more or less fluid intake.
To find out how much water you need in a day, you need to calculate it using a simple formula. You need 35 ml water per kilogram of your body weight. Let’s assume you weigh 70 kgs, then you should multiply 35ml by 70.
Most people can stay hydrated with adequate water intake, but if you’re sweating heavily, or if you lead an active lifestyle, then you should drink more than required water.
How to Stay Hydrated in Winter?
One of the best ways to prevent dehydration during the winter season is to drink warm fluids when it's cold outside. You can drink warm water, hot herbal teas, or broths.
You can use Pexpo hot and cold bottles to have warm drinks by your side at all times. Pexpo hot and cold bottles can keep your drinks warm for a long time, making sure you stay hydrated throughout the season without having to worry about warming the water all the time.
If you don’t like drinking plain water all day long, you can add some flavor to your drinks. Having some flavored water by your side can help you drink more water. Add a wedge of lime, other pieces of fruit, or other unsweetened water enhancers to boost the flavor of your water.
If you want to stay hydrated, then the best way to do so is by carrying a water bottle with you everywhere.
You can use a Pexpo stainless steel bottle with you to drink warm water wherever you go. If you’re in the office all day long, you can keep the bottle by your side to drink and refill water as you want.
To increase water intake during the winter season, you can drink things other than just plain water. You can try drinking homemade soups in winter that helps you intake more fluid.
Some other options to stay hydrated include water-rich fruits and vegetables such as green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, melon, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Drinking too much caffeine can lead to dehydration. Caffeine is a natural diuretic, which means it flushes out water and electrolytes from your body. If you have a high caffeine intake, then you will have to drink much more water. For every single mug of coffee you drink, increase a glass of water you drink.
Alcohol shouldn’t be counted as fluid intake. Alcohol consumption can impact how a person feels cold, it increases the risk for hypothermia. If you like to drink alcohol, swap them for mocktails to prevent the risk of dehydration.
Mix unsweetened seltzer water with a slice of citrus or mixed berries as mocktails.
You can prevent dehydration in the winter season by making hydration a routine. You can drink a certain amount of water each day by making drinking water a habit.
You should start by keeping a glass of water on your bedside table, so you consume the first thing in the morning. You should aim to drink a specific amount of water throughout the day.