Why you need more water in summer

(By Lisa Sarah John, Courtesy Bangalore Times, May 28, 2007)

THOUGH we make lifestyle changes in the peak of summer like wearing cool clothes and keeping the fans running we forget to increase our water intake. The body adapts to the heat by perspiring excessively but we don’t compensate this with sufficient water. We may drink extra cool drinks or juices but these are no substitutes for plain, unadulterated water.

During this season many suffer from constipation which can even become complicated and result in bleeding and pain. You have to drink 2.5 to 3 litres of water daily. This may seem impossible but it only requires a little planning. Drink half a litre of lukewarm water on rising. From breakfast time up to lunch time keep a one litre bottle with you and see to it that you have emptied that bottle before you eat your lunch. From lunchtime to 6pm in the evening you should drink another one litre. From 6pm to bed time try to finish another half litre and you would have consumed 3 litres. If you are still constipated your personal water requirement may be more, in which case add 2-3 glasses to your intake.

As for food, try to eat whole grain cereals like whole wheat (atta) chappatis and ragi instead of rice at all meals. This increases the fibre in the diet. The dietary factor most affecting bowel movement is the fibre content or roughage in the diet. Whole pulses like channa, rajma, moong add additional fibre — more so if they are sprouted.

Also, increase your vegetable intake. Make sure you are eating a sabji or palya for lunch, plus a salad and at dinner a large bowl of raw salad is a must. Increase your fruit intake to 2-3 fruits per day. You can have a banana or orange at 11 am. An apple, pear or guava at 6.30 pm and some papaya after dinner. Always try to eat a whole fruit instead of juice and whole vegetables instead of soup, so that you get the fibre. Avoid very rich and oily food. Reduce your salt intake, by cutting down on fried salty snacks like papad, chips, namkeen and mixture.

Heavy consumption of alcohol and aerated drinks must be avoided. These create fluid retention and worsen constipation. When you drink a bottle of cola you are consuming 150 cals or 7 tsp of sugar. Three large pegs of whisky is 450 cals or 22 teaspoons of sugar. When such large amounts of sugar or salt enter the blood, the concentration rises. This causes water that is to be excreted to be retained so that the blood concentration can be brought down to normal. This will result in constipation.

Also important is exercise. You must have a regular 20-30 minutes walk planned in your daily schedule. This exercise also helps to regularise the bowel movement.

 

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