Top Tips to Keep Well Hydrated - The Physical Effects of Grief
Author: Sabine Horner
Overview: One of the most common physical effects of grief is reduced appetite and a lack of interest in drinking enough fluids. Meanwhile we can often cry a lot which depletes our hydration levels further. Sabine explains why keeping hydrated in grief is important and how that can be achieved.
‘You need to drink water’ was the very first advice I heard after my husband died. And I am pretty sure you have heard this piece of advice often enough yourself.
However, even non-grievers tend not to know the first thing about a healthy fluid intake, for example that we shouldn’t drink anything cold, especially before, during and after a meal.
I can hear you ask: ‘Why is that?’
The reason is simple. Drinking anything cold constricts blood vessels and diverts blood away from your stomach. Just think of what it feels like to down a glass of iced tea or chilled beer!
Cold drinks douse your digestive fire, i.e. your stomach acid, and without adequate levels of stomach acid, the food you have just eaten simply sits in the stomach and starts to rot. Something we want to absolutely avoid!
Whereas sipping warm liquids such as herbal teas throughout the day ‘keeps the fire burning’ and ensures that your body doesn’t get dehydrated. Obviously, if you are bereaved in the hottest days of the year, cold drinks might provide comfort, but in winter staying cosy and drinking warmer drinks to help promote your appetite is a good idea.
And it is not just forgetting to drink that can make our body too dry. Crying, diarrhoea, vomiting, dry food, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, or excessive sweating and urinating can also contribute to dehydration.
The physical effects of grief create knock-on symptoms. For example not eating enough can lead to light headedness and not drinking enough fluids can lead to headaches.
So, what can we do to keep drinking the right amount, i.e. around 2 litres, every day?
Here are some tips on how you can keep your hydration levels in the right range:
Have a tall coconut water – banana smoothie for breakfast. Try the smoothie recipe. Both ingredients contain electrolytes which help maintain proper water balance in the body.
Make preparing a 500ml flask of herbal tea part of your morning routine.
Take this flask with you to work and sip from it whenever you don’t need to talk or move about.
Take a flask with you when you are going places and there is little chance of you getting something warm to drink while you are out.
Eat a good-sized bowl of soup once a day. It also counts as a liquid.
Drink a tall glass of room temperature water with a wedge of lime and a pinch of rock salt 30 minutes before a meal. Salt helps to retain water while sour taste helps with the production of saliva and other digestive juices needed to break down food properly.
Find a good alternative to coffee or black tea. Mine is fresh ginger tea with a bit of lemon juice.
Always drink coffee with a glass of water at room temperature.
Have a warm cocoa drink made with almond milk as a healthy pick-me-up in the afternoon.
And here is a link to a short YouTube video about proper hydration if you prefer a more visual way of learning more.
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