If you have a headache or body aches, before you reach for a pain reliever, you might consider how long it has been since you drank a glass of water. Most aches and pains, especially headaches are signals from your body that it is becoming dehydrated. You can prevent and even reverse the effects of dehydration using our 15 home remedies for dehydration and get rid of those aches and pains.
Why is it important to stay hydrated?
You have heard it plenty of times before. But why exactly is it so important to stay hydrated? Many people do not take in nearly as many fluids as they are supposed to throughout the course of the day. When you are not properly hydrated, over a long period of time oh, you will begin to feel downsides of it.
Everything from lethargy to aches and pains to consistent hunger can be results of dehydration. With an extended period of not drinking water, your skin can begin showing signs of being of not being adequately hydrated. One of the major signs is skin that seems dull and dry. When compared to someone who is adequately hydrated, their skin does not have that youthful dewy glow that so many crave.
Although it is a little bit difficult to stay hydrated throughout the day, there are some tricks to help remedy this. In today’s article, we are going to go over some of the most beneficial ways to stay hydrated. Our tips will go over some of the best ways to sneak fluid in your body so that you can operate at peak performance. Let’s get started!
1. Coconut Water
One of the important aspects of home remedies for dehydration is the replacement of electrolytes that were lost through diarrhea, vomiting or excessive sweating. The electrolytes which occur naturally in coconut water are an excellent way to regain those lost vitamins and minerals. Coconut water is as effective as traditional sports drinks, but does not have the sugar content.
What to Do
For quick recovery from dehydration, drink 2 to 3 glasses of coconut water daily.
There are many brands that will advertise that their product has pure coconut water, when the reality is the water is just coconut flavored. Before you invest in any one brand, be sure to read the ingredients list carefully to make sure that it is actually 100% coconut water that you are drinking. That way, you can avoid wasting your money on artificial alternative.
2. Bananas
Also among the top home remedies for dehydration are bananas. An important mineral lost during dehydration is potassium. Recovering potassium more quickly can help prevent those aches, pains and cramps. Fortunately, bananas are loaded in potassium as well as other beneficial vitamins and minerals to help reverse the effects of dehydration.
What to Do
- Peel and eat bananas that are just turning ripe for the highest concentration of potassium and other minerals.
- Add bananas to your smoothies or sports drinks.
Consuming bananas does not have to be a mundane task. With all the different ways you can prep fresh bananas, you are sure to find a way to squeeze them into any meal.
One of the best ways to incorporate bananas in your diet is during breakfast. Mix in fresh or freeze dried bananas with your oatmeal or cereal for a healthy start to the day. for lunch, you can squeeze them in as a good snack or throw them in a fruit salad for an added dose of sweetness.
3. Watery Fruits and Vegetables
Watery fruits and vegetables are also very effective at helping with recovery from dehydration. These types of fruits and vegetables contain the necessary vitamins and minerals to replenish the lost electrolytes, which will help you to recover more rapidly from the symptoms of dehydration.
What to Do
- Fruits to keep in mind include: grapes, papaya, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapefruit strawberries and oranges.
- Vegetables that can help you recover from dehydration include: celery, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and zucchini.
- You can extract the juice from these fruits and vegetables or consume them in salads or smoothies.
4. Yogurt
Following a bout with diarrhea and/or vomiting, yogurt is one of the best ways to restore your body from dehydration. Besides having plenty of electrolytes, yogurt also helps to boost the beneficial bacteria in your stomach which might have been lost.
What to Do
- Consume 1 cup of plain yogurt several times per day.
- You can add some cottage cheese to your yogurt if you like.
- Plain white rice along with yogurt is another way to help restore lost vitamins and minerals.
5. Homemade ORS
Rapid restoration of the lost fluids and minerals is a priority among the home remedies for dehydration. One way to obtain those lost minerals and fluids is through a homemade oral rehydration solution (ORS), which give you a quick boost.
What to Do
- Dissolve ½ tsp of salt and 6 tsp of sugar (raw sugar is your best choice) in 4 cups of drinking water.
- Be sure that the mixture is completely dissolved before drinking this solution several times throughout the day.
6. Drink More Water
It almost seems to obvious to mention, but drinking more water has to be mentioned among the home remedies for dehydration. Many people become dehydrated for no other reason than they don’t drink enough water. You should continue to drink water even when you don’t feel thirsty in order to prevent dehydration.
What to Do
- There are various amounts recommended: 8 oz. 8 times per day or 12 oz. every 2 hours.
- Regardless of which formula you choose, one of the best ways to make sure that you are drinking water is to keep a full water bottle close at hand throughout the day, because with it sitting there, you have a tendency to drink it.
7. Barley Water
Replenishing the vitamins and minerals lost to dehydration can also be accomplished through drinking barley water. Most of the minerals that are found in electrolyte solutions can also be found in barley water, which is easy to digest and helps give you an energy boost as well.
What to Do
- Add 1 cup of pearled barley to 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
- Cover and simmer the solution for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Allow the solution to cool and then strain out the barley.
- You can add some lemon juice and honey if you like before drinking this water at regular intervals throughout the day.
8. Buttermilk
For mild dehydration, buttermilk can be an effective remedy for helping you get back what you have lost. Besides several vitamins and protein, buttermilk contains sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which are all electrolyte balancing minerals.
What to Do
- Simply consume 1 cup of buttermilk 2 to 3 times daily.
- You can also add ½ tsp of powdered ginger to 1 cup of water buttermilk and drink it.
9. Soups and Broths
Among the best home remedies for dehydration are soups and broths. When you are talking about replenishing lost vitamins and minerals through dehydration, there are few better solutions for regaining what has been lost than soups and broths. Bone broths are especially effective because they contain powerful nutrients to help restore gut health as well.
What to Do
- Make your broth using a whole chicken or soup bone in order to get the full benefits found in the bones.
- When you add vegetables into your soup, choose water rich vegetables like radishes, celery and zucchini to get the most benefit.
- Consume broth or soup 2 to 3 times a day to reach full recovery and/or to prevent dehydration.
10. Lemon or Lime Water
Some individuals have a hard time drinking water without adding something to it, so among the home remedies for dehydration is lemon water. Lemons not only give water a bit of a zing, but they also contain vitamin C and some potassium to help restore lost nutrients.
What to Do
- Stir the juice of ½ lemon or lime into a 12 oz. glass of water.
- You can add 1 tsp of raw honey and a pinch of salt if you like.
- Drink this water several times throughout the day.
11. Green Tea
Green tea is not only loaded in antioxidants, but it also contains potassium and magnesium, which are essential in restoring electrolyte balance lost due to dehydration. Though some suggest that the caffeine content in green tea, or even black tea, will dehydrate you worse, its fluid and mineral content more than make up for its caffeine content and it is a good way to regain your strength after dehydration.
What to Do
- Pour 1 to 1 ½ cups of just under boiling water over 1 tsp of green tea leaves.
- Cover and allow the tea to steep for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how strong you want your tea.
- Strain the leaves or remove the tea bag and add a little bit of honey if you like.
- Consume this remedy 3 times per day.
12. Epsom Salt Bath
Even taking a bath in Epsom salt can help with your recovery from dehydration. Epsom salt really isn’t salt. It is magnesium sulfate and the magnesium can be absorbed into your body by soaking in it, which restores one of the important electrolyte minerals.
What to Do
- Add 1 cup of Epsom salt to a bathtub filled with warm water.
- Soak for 15 to 20 minutes in the solution.
- You can repeat this process 2 to 3 times per week to help prevent loss of magnesium.
13. Salt
Also among the home remedies for dehydration is a simple salt solution. One of the nutrients lost in dehydration is sodium, which is much aligned when it is consumed in excess, but is an essential nutrient for proper body functioning.
What to Do
- Dissolve ½ tsp of salt in 1 cup of water.
- Drink this solution several times throughout the day to recover from dehydration.
14. Orange Juice
Orange juice also works for helping to recover from or prevent dehydration and is an excellent addition to our home remedies for dehydration. Oranges are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Besides vitamin C, oranges contain calcium, potassium and copper, which are all helpful in electrolyte balance recovery.
What to Do
- Extract the juice of oranges rather than purchasing packaged orange juice, which tends to have sugar and other chemical additives.
- Consume 12 oz. of this freshly extracted juice 2 to 3 times daily, especially before and after a heavy-duty workout.
15. Cranberry Juice
Well known for healing UTIs, cranberry juice is actually one of the best fluids for restoration after you have been dehydrated or for preventing it. Diabetics should strongly consider regular consumption of cranberry juice because it helps to prevent the dehydrating effects of high blood sugar levels as well as helps to maintain blood glucose balance.
What to Do
- Choose organic, unsweetened cranberry juice.
- Consume 1 cup of cranberry juice 2 to 3 times daily.
Wrapping Up
Aches, pains, sluggishness, and even brain fog, are often the result of dehydration. The loss of electrolytes in your body is what brings on those issues and restoring them is a priority for full recovery. Using our home remedies for dehydration, you can restore the fluids as well as the vitamins and minerals necessary to get your body back on track.
If you have questions, comments or additional remedies and recipes to add, be sure to share them in the space provided.