How to stay hydrated: How to keep your body hydrated in summer

It's finally summer! The days are long and filled with outdoor activities... We meet friends in bars and restaurants, go on excursions, and enjoy the sun. 

However, hot temperatures always place additional strain on our bodies. Adequate hydration is essential in summer because it affects our health—especially our immune system—and has an anti-aging effect on our skin. 

In fact, you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day – if you sweat a lot or exercise, your needs are even higher. Sound like a lot? We've prepared some tips and tricks to help you keep your body hydrated. 

1. It's not just about water...

Our body excretes around 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid every day through the skin, lungs, bladder, and intestines. In order to maintain a constant body temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius, our body sweats. This not only eliminates water, but also causes us to lose other important nutrients. In this context, you may have heard something about the electrolyte concentration of various foods. Electrolytes are minerals with a positive or negative electrical charge. These include sodium, magnesium, potassium, and chloride. These substances are essential for all bodily functions, especially for our muscles and our body's acid-base balance. They are directly linked to our water balance. So make sure you eat and drink foods with a high electrolyte concentration—these include milk, broth, or various sports drinks. 

2. Drink on time

This rule sounds quite simple: Drink water before you feel thirsty or notice the first symptoms of dehydration, not when you feel thirsty. If you find this difficult, create a water drinking schedule or try using an app on your smartphone. 

Signs of dehydration include dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, dry skin and chapped lips.

3. Fruits and vegetables as the perfect hydrating snack

Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water—up to 80-99%, in fact—making them ideal as a summer snack. Berries, melon, oranges, lemons, carrots, lettuce, and spinach have the highest water content and also provide you with valuable vitamin C. The water and vitamin content is also retained in frozen fruit.

4. The right variety

If you're bored with plain water and want to add a little variety to your drinks, you don't necessarily have to resort to sugary drinks. Mix your water with some fruit juice or flavor it with lemon, ginger, or mint. Tea—whether warm or iced—is delicious, healthy, and provides your body with optimal hydration. 

Be careful not to drink anything ice-cold. Your body will have to adjust to the temperature difference, which will expend a lot of energy and possibly cause you to sweat even more. 

5. Alcohol dehydrates your body

Alcoholic drinks are tempting thirst quenchers, especially in summer. But be careful: They actually increase your fluid needs. Your body needs water to process alcohol, and alcohol also depletes valuable minerals. So, when you drink alcohol, remember to drink plenty of water or choose non-alcoholic alternatives. 

We hope our tips will help you provide your body with the best fluids and nutrients, especially in summer. 

Good hydration makes a difference: You'll have more energy and it supports your immune system and your skin. The improved circulation that comes with good hydration supplies it with more oxygen, which is the building block for healthy skin cells. This boosts your skin's metabolism and makes your skin more elastic, making it less prone to cellulite, blemishes, and varicose veins. If you want to do even more for your skin, our HAPPINESS & BEAUTY HORMONES can also help.