The South African summer has arrived in full force, with temperatures forecast to average around 30-degrees Celsius across most of the country this week. High heat can lead to dehydration much quicker than you’d expect, so it’s important to ensure that you stay hydrated – especially if you’re travelling.
“A couple of days away in the bush is a very popular getaway for many travellers, whether they’re locals, or international travellers. Many travellers like to include a safari experience in their travels and with the Kruger National Park being only a 3.5-hour drive from Johannesburg, it’s ideal for a long weekend escape,” says Sarah Watson, Guest Relations Manager of Kruger Gate Hotel.
But 3.5 hours is still enough time to lose much of your body’s moisture during this hot period, and often many road trips go on for even longer. So, here are five great tips on how you can stay hydrated if you are on the road or in the air for an extended period of time.
Don’t wait until your thirsty to take a drink
By the time you feel thirsty, you may already be a bit dehydrated. Adults especially often don’t feel thirsty until they’re already starting to dehydrate. The best way to address this is to take sips of water regularly during the course of your journey – in fact, it is advisable to do this during a hot day even if you’re not travelling.
“Sitting in a hot car, or in direct sunlight even if the air conditioner is on, can sap moisture from your body,” says Watson. “On game drives, for example, where our guests often have sun streaming down on them, we always ensure that there is water available in the vehicles or just before departure to help them stay hydrated. Dehydration can be very uncomfortable, and even dangerous, especially to children and older adults.”
An article by Harvard University suggests that the best way to stay hydrated is to drink fluids gradually throughout the course of the day. This can help your body to maintain your electrolyte balance, ensure that nutrients and oxygen are carried to your cells, and protect your organs and tissues.
Eat fruit and veggies with a high water content
Fruit and vegetables that are high in water can help you stay hydrated, so packing a snack box with an assortment of these is an easy – and delicious – way of keeping up your body’s hydration levels. Fruit like watermelons, berries, pineapples, peaches, apples, tomatoes, and veggies like cucumbers, celery and watercress are water-rich, and are super-easy to pack as a mobile snack.
“An added bonus is that you’ll be getting the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are packed into these fruits and veg,” says Watson. “We love including seasonal locally sourced fruit and veg in our offerings to guests as they pack a health punch as much as filling the hunger gap and helping them stay hydrated.”
Fun fact: One slice of raw tomato contains 170.14g of water; and watermelon is 92% water with the benefit of being rich in antioxidants.
Lather on that moisturiser
When you are travelling, you lose a lot of moisture through your skin. So it makes sense that keeping your skin moisturised plays a role in keeping you hydrated. This applies not only to your face, but to the rest of your body too. A good moisturiser applied generously will help to prevent excessive moisture loss through your skin.
The power of coconut water
Those of us who exercise regularly may already know the rehydrating benefits of coconut water. Coconut water is naturally high in electrolytes, which are important in maintaining the fluid balance in our bodies. This is because electrolytes include magnesium and potassium which, according to some studies, can be more beneficial than water for rehydration.
Additionally, coconuts are high in nutrients and antioxidants. So add a bottle (or a few!) of coconut water to your travel snack bag for a delicious and healthy rehydrating drink on the road.
Ditch those dehydrating foods
As tempting as it may be to pop open that bag of salty crisps or snack on biscuit while travelling, salty and sugary foods can drain the water from your body. Tea and coffee are also sneaky culprits, being diuretic in nature. And it probably goes without saying that fried and salty take-away foods can zap your hydration levels very quickly.
“Also be careful of dehydration if you’re on a high-protein diet,” suggests Watson. “The body needs more water to metabolise the nitrogen that occurs naturally in protein, so your cells can lose water far quicker.”
Stay comfortably (and hydrated!) at your Kruger home
“With the Kruger Gate Hotel being only 500m away from the Paul Kruger entrance to the Park, it’s your perfect ‘base’. You can use the hotel to top up on hydration between game drives whether you use the hotel’s safari vehicle or take your own. It’s the perfect place to relax, unwind and stay perfectly hydrated,” concludes Watson.
