10 Important Tips to Stay Hydrated During the Summer

When we think of summer, we imagine spending long days at the beach, sipping fruity poolside cocktails, playing exhilarating games of baseball or soccer, and grilling up hot dogs and hamburgers beneath warm rays of sunshine. In fact, with all the exciting summertime activities to take part in, we often forget about the most important summertime activity—drinking water. 

It may not seem as thrilling as a summer island getaway, but drinking water is crucial to staying hydrated during hotter months. It’s also the most appropriate way to celebrate your favorite summertime holiday—National Hydration Day (which you can mark on your calendars for June 23rd, if you haven’t already).

Water plays a vital role in our bodies (in fact, up to 60% of our bodies are water!). Water helps in:

• Stabilizing our body temperature
• Aiding digestion
• Preventing constipation
• Regulating blood pressure
• Maintaining sodium balance
• Protecting our joints
• Flushing bacteria
• Carrying oxygen to our cells

While simply drinking water throughout the day is the easiest way to stay hydrated this summer, you can also follow our 10 summer hydration tips below to further ensure you stay cool no matter hot it is outside.

#1 Track Your Water Intake

By tracking your water intake, you can ensure your body is adequately hydrated every day and develop better hydration habits. Start by downloading a water tracking app to your smartphone, such as Hydro Coach, WaterMinder, Aqualert, or My Water to help you remember to take water breaks all day.

Aside from offering a convenient way to log your drinks, these apps also allow you to set daily, weekly or monthly hydration goals and determine your individual hydration needs based on your body weight, measurements, activity level, and location climate.

In the meantime, a basic water intake guide to remember is this:

• Men should consume about 3.7 liters of fluid per day (through water and food)
• Women should consume about 2.7 liters of fluid per day (through water and food)^[1]

Fortunately, ZenWTR’s ultra-pure, vapor distilled water is available in a 1 liter bottle to make measuring your daily water intake easy (you’re welcome!)

#2 Spice Up (or Sweeten Up) Your Water

Invigorate your water with the tastes of summer by adding slices of fresh fruit or veggies.

Try replacing your morning cup of coffee or tea with a tangy-sweet glass of lemon water (or if you can’t cut the caffeine, add lemon water alongside it) Not only is lemon thought to aid in digestion, but it’s also a great source of vitamin C—an antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damaging free radicals.

Looking for something a little sweeter?  Try adding strawberries or raspberries to your lemon-infused water for a healthier version of a popular childhood favorite—pink lemonade. Instead of reaching for a sugary beverage, try adding fresh fruit to cool water for a hydrating boost.

Or you can opt for the refreshing taste of cucumber instead. Add some mint leaves and a splash of seltzer for a sparkly summertime spritzer your body (and your tastebuds) will thank you for.

#3 Snack on Juicier Foods

According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, about 20% of our daily fluid intake comes from food.^[2] During hot summer months, this gives you the perfect excuse to reach for a second (or third, or fourth) helping of foods that boast higher hydrating fluid content, such as:

• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Bell Peppers

#4 Replace Rosé All Day with Rehydrate All Day

While it may not sound as catchy, drinking water all day is more conducive to feeling your best this season. Because rosé and other alcoholic beverages are natural diuretics—substances that increase the production of urine when you consume them - your body has to work harder to replace the fluids you’re losing more rapidly, just to stay hydrated.

This doesn’t mean you have to skip the rosé all day. If you do want to enjoy a glass of wine or an umbrella-topped cocktail, drink a glass of water before and after each drink to help your body stay well-hydrated.

#5 Set Daily Drink Reminders

Drinking water throughout the day will help you avoid dehydration before it becomes an issue. That’s because by the time you feel thirsty, your body has already lost about 1% of its water.^[3] At 2% body water loss, you’ll start to experience signs of dehydration, such as^[4]:

• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Confusion

To prevent these symptoms from putting a damper on your summer fun, set alerts on your smartphone to remind you to drink water throughout the day.

#6 Keep an Eye on Color

One way to tell whether you’re well hydrated is by checking the color of your urine. When you’re hydrated, it will be pale or close-to-clear yellow. However, when you’re dehydrated, it will be a darker yellow.

Keep an eye on this as you may discover it's time to increase your water intake.

#7 Supplement Water with Electrolytes

Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals found within the body that support vital functions, including keeping the body hydrated and regulating nerve and muscle function.

When we sweat, our body loses important electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, creating an electrolyte imbalance that can lead to hyponatremia, or low blood sodium.

If you’re taking an outdoor aerobics class, competing in a beach volleyball match, chasing your kids around the playground, or partaking in any other kind of physical activity, consider supplementing your water with an electrolyte tablet or powder, such as:

• Beam Elevate Energy Powder – Beam uses mindfully-sourced ingredients to create their energizing electrolyte powder that’s free of added sugars, GMOs, and artificial sweeteners.

• Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier – This non-GMO electrolyte drink mix comes in a variety of refreshing flavors, including watermelon, lemon lime, and passion fruit. In their move toward adopting more sustainable practices, Liquid I.V. is also developing more responsible packaging and reducing the environmental impact of their operations.

Plus, when you choose to hydrate yourself with ZenWTR, you can easily add electrolyte powders and tablets to your bottle with our custom wide-mouth design.

#8 Choose the Right Attire

Staying hydrated isn’t just about what goes in your body; it’s also about what goes around your body. During the summer, wearing loose-fitting clothing and light-colored, thin fabrics allows for air to reach your skin to help keep your body cool to avoid excessive sweating.

#9 Catch Some Shade

Although it may be tempting to spend all day catching rays on the beach or at your local park, (and it is a great way to get a daily dose of Vitamin D) it’s important to take breaks from the sun as well. Not only does this help prevent you from losing too much water through sweat, but it also helps save your skin from overexposure to harsh UV rays.

#10 Spread the Word (and the Water)

Like other summertime activities, drinking water and staying hydrated is more fun when done alongside friends and family. So spread the word about the importance of hydration and splash into summer feeling refreshed, energized, and cool.

ZenWTR: A Refreshing Take on Hydration and Ocean Preservation

This summer, as you’re hosting backyard barbecues, breaking in those roller skates, or lounging poolside with friends, treat yourself to the crisp, refreshing taste of ZenWTR. Our refreshing, high pH alkaline water undergoes an 8-step process including vapor distillation (the gold standard in water purification). The result? Pure, fresh water that keeps you hydrated and energized no matter what activities your summer brings.  

Plus, when you refresh your summer with ZenWTR, you’re helping us in our efforts to help  restore our oceans. That’s because ZenWTR is the only beverage in the world made from 100% recyclable, certified ocean-bound plastic. In fact, each ZenWTR bottle is made of up to 5 recycled, ocean-bound bottles.

When you’re thirsty for water and for thirsty change, reach for ZenWTR.
Shop ZenWTR now and join us to make a wave of change.

Sources:

Mayo Clinic. Water: How much should you drink every day?

Live Science. 13 Tips for Staying Hydrated in the Summer Heat. https://www.livescience.com/38553-staying-hydrated-in-the-heat.html

Very Well Health. How to Stay Cool and Hydrated on Hot Summer Days. https://www.verywellhealth.com/staying-cool-and-hydrated-on-hot-summer-days-3522345

^[1] Mayo Clinic. Water: How much should you drink every day? 

^[2] Mayo Clinic. Water: How much should you drink every day? 

^[3] Live Science. 13 Tips for Staying Hydrated in the Summer Heat. 

^[4] Live Science. 13 Tips for Staying Hydrated in the Summer Heat.