Whether you are outside working in the heat, or sitting in a warm dry house, becoming dehydrated in Singapore is not something you are aware of until you get thirsty. At that point, you would have already lost the necessary fluids that your body needs to be in balance.
Those who exercise a lot are generally aware of the need to drink a lot of water. It is, however, important to note that you need to do more than just replacing water. You need to replace potassium and electrolytes. These are crucial minerals for your muscles to perform well, including your heart! Also, keep in mind that you could be ‘more dehydrated’ with certain liquids, such as alcohol and spirits. They may also cause constipation.
Symptoms and Adverse Impact of Dehydration
If you experience nausea, suffer from restless leg syndrome, muscle cramps or spasms, or even irregular heartbeats, these could be symptoms of dehydration. It is also common that you could have experienced a fever or bouts of diarrhoea when dehydration occurs.
In Chiropractic, the muscles around your spine, as well as neck, shoulders and various joints, require hydration to perform optimally. Any dehydration and severe dehydration could cause severe muscle tightness and inflammation. If you come for an adjustment when you are dehydrated, you would usually feel worse before you feel better. This is because the joints are already tight to begin with due to the dehydration. Then, the priority is to ‘be hydrated’ first before the adjustment.
While many of you could have heard of Gatorade as a rehydrating drink, you really do not need all the artificial ingredients and chemicals in your body. There are brands, which are far healthier. You can also buy rehydrating packets available in health food stores to add to bottled water. Otherwise, you can just make your own!
Super-Hydrating Electrolyte Formula
Servings: 4 cups
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 litre filtered water (see our preferred filter options below)
1/4 teaspoon iodised table salt (sodium chloride)
3/4 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
1/4 teaspoon potassium chloride (Morton’s Lite salt)
Potassium is a mineral that is found in many foods and is needed for several functions of your body, especially the functioning of your heart.
(CAUTION: You should not use potassium chloride if you have high levels of potassium in your blood (hyperkalaemia), or if you also take a ‘potassium-sparing’ diuretic.)
Instructions:
A Simple Step to Hydrated Health
Water is essential for life. Our bodies are 70% water in composition. If we are dehydrated, it may cause serious issues like heat stroke in hot Singapore. If you suffer a lot of aches and pains, you might want to increase your fluid intake by two cups (usual seven cups) a day. Who knows, your aches and pains can improve before you see the chiropractor for adjustment which would increase the efficacy of your visits to the office.
Your Trusted Chiropractor
Dr. Nicholas Lim, D.C., ANutr, B.Sc. (Hons)
[Dr. of Chiropractic & Nutritionist &
Secretary of Chiropractic Association of Singapore]
WhatsApp :+65 9352 8828
Telephone : +65 6970 8152
Email : contact@drchiro.com.sg