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[W43]Warm Weather In February

by Tony Duke, Ton

The human body is made up of 70% water. Water is essential to the normal working of the body. It lubricates joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins and keeps skin healthy. Dehydration is when the normal water content of the body is reduced. This leads to a change in the vital balance of chemical substances in the body, especially sodium (salt) and potassium. The function of many cells depends critically on these substances being maintained at the correct levels; serious effects follow any change and dehydration can result in shock, then death.

Symptoms: The signs of dehydration in adults include:

Thirst

Low urine output

Concentrated, dark urine

Dry, flushed skin

Dry eyes

Dry mouth

Furry tongue

Headache

Clammy hands and feet

Sunken eyes

Dizziness; and

Confusion and irritability

Long term dehydration is bad for skin, kidneys, liver, joints and muscles and can cause cholesterol problems, headaches, reduced blood pressure (hypotension), fatigue and constipation.

Causes

Dehydration is caused by insufficient intake of water or by losing a lot of fluid and not taking in enough to replace it. It commonly results from an illness with persistent diarrhea and vomiting, as well as excessive sweating from a fever, heavy work in hot surroundings or heatstroke.

Dehydration can also occur as a result of drinking too much alcohol. The headache associated with a hangover indicates that your body is dehydrated. This is why it is important to drink plenty of water when you have been drinking alcohol.

Treatment

Dehydration is best treated by fluid intake.

Drinking water will re-hydrate the body and isotonic drinks will replace lost salt and essential minerals.

Fluid can also be given by a naso-gastric tube (up the nose) or saline drip (infusion into a vein).

Babies, infants and elderly people need urgent treatment if they are dehydrated.

Prevention

You can avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water. The Food Standards Agency recommends that if you live in the UK (or somewhere with a similar climate) you should drink approximately 1.2 litres (6-8 glasses) of water every day. Your intake of water should increase if you are ill with sickness and/or diarrhea.

When exercising, you should drink up to one litre of water per hour of exercise, on top of your normal daily amount. This should be increased if you are exercising in warm conditions, as you will dehydrate more quickly.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

In hot weather, you will sweat more and lose fluid from your body. Make sure you are drinking enough water to replace lost fluids.

To see if the drinks that sounded good also tasted good, I put together and sampled about fifteen in my home. I then tried an almost equal number in a friendly area pub over the course of about a week. Interestingly, every drink that sounded good tasted good; every one, without exception. But, these five really stood out.

I found the Rasmopolitan at http://www.liclubs.com. It's a combination of 1 ounce of Stoli, a half ounce of Triple Sec, a half ounce of lime juice, and enough cranberry juice to fill a tall glass. Just mix it, strain it if you wish, and garnish with a lime wedge.

It turned out that liclubs.com also provided another of my favorites, a drink named Sex on the Beach (your guess is as good as mine). This great warm weather drink is made with pineapple juice (1 ounce), cranberry juice (1 ounce), vodka (1/2 ounce), and peach schnapps (1/2 ounce). I put everything into a shaker with a few cubes of ice and liked it enough to immediately make another.

Then there's the aptly named Creamy Root Beer I found at dreamsmixer.com. To make this simple but delicious drink, fill a frosted mug with ice cubes, pour in two ounces of Dr. Mcgillicuddy's Vanilla Schnapps, and fill to almost the top with root beer, before finishing with a teaspoon of cream.

It must be apparent by now that I'm not a beer and shot kind of guy. In fact, I'm not much of a drinker at all, but I really enjoyed the Strawberry Colada a local bartender fixed for me, following the recipe I found at frontgate.com; one and a quarter ounce of light rum, an ounce of pina colada mix, an ounce of strawberry daiquiri mix, and 1/4 of an ounce of pineapple juice. After blending and pouring, an orange slice and a cherry make an attractive, great tasting garnish.

No party or event is complete without a great alcohol free alternative, and here it is, courtesy of recipelink.com. Freeze a bowl, a 16 ounce glass, and a Butterfinger candy bar for at least 30 minutes (longer is probably better). When ready to serve, crush the candy bar into pieces and put it aside...you'll use 2/3 of it in a minute. Mix two cups of vanilla ice cream and 1/4 cup of milk in the frozen bowl until it is creamy and stir in the Butterfinger pieces. Pour the mixture into the frozen glass and serve with a spoon.

I would be very surprised if you and your family or guests don't enjoy these drinks as much as I and those who joined me in my taste tests did. If I'm wrong, I can promise you'll find lots of alternatives to suit all tastes on the internet.

Article Source : elite wellness

About Author

Both Tony Duke & Daniel Z. Kane are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Tony Duke has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wellness. Tony Duke is a physical activity trainer and consultant for the health and social care sector and is a GP Exercise Referral Consultant. He and his wife Zoe manage Vitalyz Limited, working in the health and social care sector throughout the UK.. Tony Duke's top article generates over 880 views. to your Favourites.

Daniel Z. Kane has sinced written about articles on various topics from Small Business, College Education and Education. Daniel Z. Kane is a veteran college Dean who normally writes about , financial aid, and. Daniel Z. Kane's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.