HOME & LIVING
B2 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2022
Tips for eff ective summer hydration
Mayo Clinic News Network
DEAR MAYO CLINIC:
I am prone to kidney stones,
so I know it’s important for
me to stay hydrated while
I exercise. But do I need
to change what I drink
in the summer? A friend
mentioned that I might be
better with a sports drink
versus water. I’m also won-
dering how much I should
drink. Can you provide any
advice?
ANSWER: Staying
hydrated during exercise is
important. You can become
dehydrated if you take in
too little fl uid, especially
during the hot summer
months. Conversely, con-
suming too much fl uid
can be problematic. Some
people are known to experi-
ence what is known as exer-
cise-induced low sodium,
or hyponatremia. Finding a
balance is importance.
The purpose of drinking
fl uid — whether water or
electrolyte-containing bev-
erages — is to rehydrate the
body and put fl uid back into
your system so your organs
can function properly.
How much to drink and
when depends on your sit-
uation. Generally, it’s rec-
ommended that you should
consume at least two liters
of water or other beverages
per day.
The general rule of
thumb among health care
professionals is to drink to
thirst. Although guidelines
Viktoriya Kuzmenkova/Dreamstime-TNS
Staying hydrated during exercise is important.
speak to hydration before,
during and after exercise,
I always tell people to look
and listen to your body as
the best indicator when you
need hydration. That said,
thirst isn’t always a helpful
indicator of hydration
status, particularly when
exercising. If you’re exer-
cising and thirsty, you are
already well on your way to
becoming dehydrated, com-
pared to if you were resting
and thirsty.
You will need to take
in more fl uid than usual at
times. During the summer
months, for instance, when
weather is hotter and more
humid, it is important to
drink more fl uid, espe-
cially if you are exercising
outdoors.
As far as what to
drink, for most people,
water is the best place to
start. Depending on how
extensively you exercise,
having a beverage that
includes electrolytes also is
important to replace nutri-
ents and electrolytes lost
during sweating, such as
sodium and chloride.
Sodium is important
because it helps you absorb
glucose and water. Aim for
about 450 milligrams of
sodium per 24 ounces of
sports drink. Avoid salt tab-
lets, as they do not include all
the electrolytes you need and
you can easily use too much.
You also can look for a drink
with some carbohydrates,
since they provide fuel for
your working muscles.
It is best to consume
about half your fl uid intake
in water and half in a bev-
erage that contains elec-
trolytes. Mind the amount
of sugar intake, though.
While sugar is important,
especially for endurance
athletes, too much sugar
can cause gastrointestinal
issues, including bloating,
cramping or diarrhea. One
recommendation is to keep
sugar below 30 grams per
24 ounces of a sports drink.
The best rule of thumb
is when you exercise, drink
to thirst, and hydrate your
body with plain water and,
as needed, a sports bev-
erage. In the summer, also
be mindful about how you
feel as you exercise.
I fi nd that many people
do not drink enough water
daily, so they may feel
better after increasing
hydration, no matter the
source. In addition, avoid
drinking alcohol when
you are outdoors because
alcohol is a diuretic. This
means alcohol will cause
your body to lose water,
leading to dehydration
much faster.
As you spend time out-
doors, be aware of symp-
toms of dehydration, which
can include:
• Extreme thirst.
• Less frequent
urination.
• Dark-colored urine.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Confusion.
Also, if you experience
cramps or headache while
exercising, it is best to stop,
hydrate and potentially
seek medical attention. It
is important to rule out
other warm-weather issues,
including heat exhaustion.
█
Dr. Brittany Beel, Emergency
Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville,
Florida
Dealing with damage from summer storms
JENNIE
HAGEN
GARDENING
WITH GRANDMA
A
s much as I don’t
like to think about
it, catastrophic gar-
dening happens. The sort
I have in mind is from our
frequent summer thunder-
storms that arrive with rap-
idly accelerating wind, that
dreaded hail and punishing
rain.
Our plants don’t like
it, either! After the storm
has passed, and we dare
venture outside to take an
inventory of the damage,
think big things first. Do
any trees have broken
limbs and have the limbs
completely severed from
the tree? If completely
severed, are they still
hung up in the crown (the
top, living part of the
tree), are they hung up on
other branches, are they
dangling from electric
lines, or have they fallen
to the ground and can be
safely removed
Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative has excel-
lent information on their
website — otec.coop —
regarding downed lines,
including those with tree
entanglements, and who to
contact. Just click on the
“Safety & Education” tab,
or the “Outage Center.”
So now it’s safe to go
outside. You’ve taken
inventory of the trees and
personal safety, what’s
next? Let’s do food first.
Have your tomatoes taken
a beating? If you don’t
trim off the broken vege-
tation, this will encourage
increased insect damage
or disease. But once
the damaged stems are
removed, you’ll be sur-
prised at how quickly they
bounce back.
Your vegetable patch
may be needing your
help. It’s basically the
same treatment, whether
it’s zucchini or lettuce.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram-TNS, File
Hail can cause severe damage to gardens.
Some damage may not
become evident at first,
but as warm days con-
tinue you will notice
leaves that are dying or
increased damage to ones
you thought escaped the
storm. Just continue to be
diligent about looking for
damage and removing it.
There are abun-
dant fruit trees, shrubs,
and vines in our area.
Depending on their degree
of being ripe will depend
on whether you actively
trim off the damaged fruit
or not. Ripe, or near-ripe,
fruit will always be more
prone to have greater
damage, especially from
hail, then their unripe
counterparts. This is when
some tough decisions
will be made, how much
can you salvage, and how
much is lost.
And last, but cer-
tainly no less important,
how about our delightful
flowers? Annual flowers
(those that only grow one
year) may not have time
to recover before cold
weather sets in but give
them a chance! Our peren-
nial plants (those that
come back each year) will
almost always survive
if treated with the same
restorative techniques as
already described. If one
suffers serious damage
and you must trim it
almost to the ground,
don’t despair, it will most
certainly return in the
spring!
And in our next edi-
tion of Gardening With
Grandma, I’ll share my
tips for avoiding a com-
plete washout from
intense rain or flash
flooding.
We gardeners are a
tough lot, we can do this
“damage control” even if
it’s difficult at times. Just
remember, a happy plant
is a trimmed plant!
█
Jennie Hagen is a native Oregonian
who has spent 40 years gardening
east of the Cascades. She is a
member of the Garden Writers
Association and has previously
written for the Home & Garden
section of The Oregonian, and for
the La Grande Observer, the Baker
City Herald, and the Burns Times
Herald.
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