While hydration is always important, it’s even more important when the hotter weather strikes.

And while we’re fortunate enough that we’re not talking about severe hydration that can kill you, even mild hydration has its consequences. Such as:

• It dampens your mood

• It causes headaches (ever spent an entire day at the beach and wondered why you had a splitting headache all evening?)

• It increases fatigue (Did you have ,not only headache post-beach day, but also felt ready for bed at 7 pm?)

It’s not rocket science…

If you have experienced mild dehydration before, the answer is simple: You need more fluids in your system.

Here are 5 tips to get you guzzling all of the water if you’re spending hours in the sun this summer:

5. Water-plus

Some of us have a hard time drinking a lot of water. It can almost feel like we’re force-feeding ourselves, which isn’t pleasant. So we drink soda or juice or Gatorade (or beer) instead—aka sugar bombs.

Instead of turning to sugar drinks, go the infused fruit route instead!

Lemon water, lime water, orange water, cucumber water, or even raspberry water often helps make it easier to chug 500 mL of water in one sitting.

Another great one: Raspberry, lemon and mint water. Prepare of 4 L jug of it in the am and you won’t feel like you’re forcing yourself to drink water all day.

And if fruit-infused water isn’t for you, then maybe carbonated water is.

I did a bit of research into carbonated water and whether it’s A-OK for your health and all signs point to yes.

One common concern: Is it bad for my teeth?

According to this study, no! (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11556958).

Research also suggests it hydrates you as well as still water and is easier for many to swallow, especially older adults ((https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26607248). Meanwhile further research says it helps with constipation.

4. Let your thirst be your guide

Hunger and thirst signal are there for a reason: To tell us we need food or water. It really is that simple…

That being said, we have often been told that: ‘If you’re thirsty, it’s too late!!!’

Too late for what? (If we really were “too late,” then all mammals on the planet would probably have died from dehydration. Instead, animals drink when they’re thirsty. And so should we) (https://aceaxethrowing.com/uncategorized/31768983).

The point is, if you feel thirsty, it’s not too late. It simply means that it’s important to drink ASAP. Becoming in tune with your body’s natural thirst signals is step one, and then step two is to BE PREPARED and have water readily available, especially in the summer when you’re going to need more than the winter.

3. Be prepared, and add ice!

If drinking ice cold water gets you drinking more, then prepare a big jug or water bottle in the morning with lots of ice (and fruit infused if you desire) to entice you to drink, drink, drink. Because there’s nothing more appealing than a giant jug of ice water on a hot summer day—it certainly beats trying to find a fountain to bend over at and drink awkwardly.

2. Wake up and chug!

If you’re a coffee drinker especially, wake up and have a big glass of water before you drink your morning coffee—which only serves to dehydrate you even further. Drinking first thing in the morning will also go a long way in preventing you from being starving and eating too much at breakfast time.

1. Drink first, then shower yourself..

Although it feels good to poor water on your head, or jump in a pool to cool off, remember nothing cools you off more effectively from the inside out than drinking plenty of cold water.

So drink first, the dump the rest all over your body…