Rudy Otter’s cheers and bottoms up to drinking water in hot weather is appropriate. Drinking water can be pleasant ritual. Many people just ignore to rehydrate themselves under load of other commitments, incur unpleasant results. Note carefully, following facts.
Firstly, water means H2O, strictly water. Liquids like soda, beer, tea, coffee and dal does not qualify as water. Tea and beer are diuretics and so can cause micturition/ dehydration. Beer adds calories without proper diet, creating false sense of fullness, and less eating of essential foods.
Sweet drinks have unacceptable quantity of sugar, which gives a spike of adrenalin followed by trough and resultant depression. Sugar also leads to warming up and perspiration/ dehydration. Non-sugar sweeteners may lull drinker into false sense of safety and lead to obesity and diabetes.
Thus water is safest and best source to quench thirst. But there is hazard too. One must imbibe water only up to 8 to 10 glasses per day, at regular intervals, and that too, sip by sip. Overzealous over drinking can cause bloated tummy. It can also thin the blood and cause dizziness, a la dehydration, causing giddiness. Plus, overdrinking with meals dilutes digestive juices in stomach, leading to gastric disorders.
Ramesh Jhalla By email
