Posted on June 13, 2012

Well there’s only one week left of spring, and then summer will be upon us. Along with the hotter weather comes a plethora of new health concerns : dehydration, heatstroke, sunburns, insect bites, and the most dreaded concern…wearing a bathing suit in public!!! All but the latter can be avoided with a little prevention. Water, water, and more water! Hotter weather increases our thirst, and all too often we reach for a soda, ice tea or Starbucks newest on ice beverage. Most of these beverages contain caffeine which works as a diuretic, pulling fluid from your body, and cause more trips to the bathroom. An 8 oz caffeinated beverage results in a 16 oz loss of body fluid, and if you have 2 or 3 of these drinks it could result in up to 48 oz. of fluid loss. So the next time you are outside enjoying the day, if you start to get a headache, fatigued or foggy headed, go find some shade and drink water because most likely you are getting dehydrated. If you are outside working around the house or playing sports and work up a sweat, you need plenty of water plus replacing the electrolytes (sodium potassium & chloride) lost through sweating. If you experience muscle spasms or cramps this time of year, most likely it is due to an electrolyte imbalance. There are plenty of products out there to address this issue: propel, emergenC, and Cliff Bar Shot Bloks just to name a few. If you love being outside this time of year, then prepare yourself before you go out, and avoid some of the unpleasant, and possibly life threatening conditions that can occur here in the desert.