Are you healthy and hydrated?

With the weather heating up, it may be time to boost your hydration levels. Our experts share some top tips to help you keep your cool

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Staying hydrated is essential for our health, but it’s easy to forget to monitor our water intake or unknowingly opt for drinks that don’t actually help with hydration.

Given that our skin is around 64% water, our muscles and kidneys are 79%, and our bones are a watery 31%, not drinking enough can significantly impact our body’s function, and there could be signs you didn’t realise were connected to dehydration.

Dr Barbara Kubicka, the founder, director and doctor of skincare clinic Clinicbe® (clinicbe.com), says, "Feeling sluggish and tired can be a sign of dehydration, which people sometimes put down to other things. This is particularly true when the weather is hot. We sweat more, and therefore need to drink more to compensate for the extra water loss.

"In addition, our blood vessels tend to dilate to try to radiate extra heat from the body. The vasodilation can lower the blood pressure slightly, and when you don’t drink enough to make up for this drop in blood pressure, it can make you feel faint and sluggish."