Rehydrate & avoiding dehydration without excessive urination?

Question

I spend most of my time in nice air conditioning, but there are a few times when I anticipate allot of excercise where I'm at risk of dehydrating to the point that I will develop a headache. Usually when playing with toddlers outside that make me do all the heavy lifting ;) I'm learning to be more cautious of this, but it still seems like it happens a bit too often.

My first question is what to do once I already have a headache from dehydration. I've tried simply chugging allot of water, but this just seems to lead to excessive restroom breaks, and it still takes half a day for the headache to go away. The water seems to go through me without being absorbed or doing anything to stop a headache once it's started. Is there a way both to speed up the process so the headache goes away faster and to avoid excessive restroom breaks in the process? Is there only so much water I can drink at once and beyond that it's not going to help hydrate faster?

Second is how do I avoid getting dehydrated so fast? I feel like even when i go into a situation worried about getting dehydrated and drinking many bottles of water I still end up with a headache. I may not be drinking enough because I'm worried about just needing lots of restroom breaks, but is there something else I should be doing when I'm expecting to sweat allot that will help avoid getting a headache? Preferable something that doesn't take me away from my activities too often :)

Answer 1

When hydrating, it is important not only to consume enough fluids, but also to ensure that you are replenishing electrolytes and minerals in your body. This will help you to hydrate yourself more quickly and sustainable than simply drinking lots of water. Here are my suggestions:

1. Sports drinks like Gatorade contain electrolytes and will hydrate you more efficiently that plain water. If you prefer a less sugary option, coconut water also contains high levels of electrolytes.

2. You can also make an oral re-hydration solution (ORS) at home: simply mix 4 cups water with 6 small spoonfuls of sugar, and a half a small spoonful of salt and mix to dissolve. This will restore lost fluids and minerals more quickly than plain water.

3. You can also eat watery fruits and vegetables to re-hydrate yourself more quickly, as these not only have high water content but will replenish lost minerals -watermelon, cantaloupe, grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, cucumber, grapes, papaya, celery, lettuce, spinach, zucchini and tomatoes are some good examples. If you don't like to eat these foods plain, consider blending into a smoothie.

4. Dehydration causes loss of minerals like potassium - eat 1-2 bananas a day to replenish your potassium.

Following these suggestions should help to prevent dehydration (and rehydrate you if you do become dehydrated) better than simply drinking water.