Eating Healthy to Prevent Dehydration

When you have diarrhea or are vomiting, you are losing a lot of fluid from your body. You must replace it or you can become dehydrated.

Tips on getting the fluids you need:

• Drink a lot of liquids -- 8 or more glasses per day! Don't worry about drinking too much.
• Good fluids for you to drink are water, broth, bouillon, fruit juice, punch. You also might try clear carbonated drinks, like ginger ale or 7-up.
• The bubbles in carbonated drinks may cause cramps. You can get rid of the bubbles by stirring it in a glass. You could also remove the top from the bottle or can let it sit for a couple of hours before drinking.
• Use regular drinks rather than the type without sugar. When you are sick and not eating much solid food, your body can use the sugar in drinks to keep itself going.
• Avoid beverages that contain caffeine. They can make your kidneys lose more fluids than you are taking in! This causes dehydration. Some beverages that contain caffeine are colas and other carbonated drinks, coffee, tea, cocoa, and hot chocolate. Read the label on carbonated drinks to see if they have caffeine in them or not.
• It is best to sip your beverages rather than drink them down quickly. Using a straw might be helpful.
• Experiment with drinking cold and hot liquids to see which is best for you. Many people can take liquids best when they are at room temperature.
• Other ways to get the fluids you need are by sucking on ice cubes and popsicles, or by eating jello or sherbet. You can freeze your favorite beverage in ice cube trays to make your own popsicles.