A Woman’s Guide To Quenching Thirst During Menopause

Menopause is one of the inevitable stages in every woman’s life. This marks the end of their fertile years; thus, a woman can’t bear a baby anymore. One of the common problems women face during Menopause is the lack of water in the body, which can also be termed dehydration.

As water is the main component of our bodies, continuous dehydration may harm the body in both the short and long term. Night sweats and hot flashes cause a lot of irritation and water loss from the body of women going through Menopause.

Proper hydration throughout the day is one of the best ways to keep your body working properly during Menopause. There are several ways to achieve this. But first, let’s understand the reasons for this dehydration.

Reasons for dehydration during Menopause

Dehydration happens when our body loses significant water in a day or several days. There can be several reasons why your body gets dehydrated during Menopause.

1. Warm weather

Not only in the case of menopausal women, warm weather may lead to dehydration in anyone as water intake becomes less and water loss becomes more. That’s why it’s recommended to increase your water intake in summer.

2. Lack of Oestrogen

Oestrogen is one of the most important hormones that maintain water in cells throughout the body. It works something like a piece of sponge so that dehydration is minimal. During Menopause, women start lacking this hormone, which makes it difficult for them to keep themselves hydrated.

In most women, the symptoms of lack of estrogen are visible with the start of Menopause.

3. Flushes and sweaty nights

Hot flushes and excess sweat at night are also common in women going through Menopause. This makes woman much more water deficient and can also affect the working of their nervous system in many cases.

Our brain also requires water for all the chemical reactions it performs. When one gets dehydrated, the brain’s energy-making process also slows down.

Signs that your water intake has decreased during Menopause

Less fluid retention in Menopause increases the problem of dehydration in menopausal women. With the start of Menopause, if you prioritize hydration, these problems may increase. The urine color in dehydrated women becomes darker as it becomes more concentrated. A person facing such a situation will always feel much more lethargic and tired.

One might face headaches, heart palpitations, lack of concentration, and unwillingness to work during Menopause. The actions of women going through this cycle of Menopause are mostly delayed due to lazy feelings throughout the day.

Having water frequently

We all are so fond of carbonated drinks. However, as a menopausal woman, you should prefer water over carbonated drinks.

Carbonated drinks are not as useful in the case of hydration as they are problematic in themselves. They boost blood sugar levels and may have their complications. Thus, ensure you focus on hydrating yourself using water throughout the day.

Water contains nutrients and electrolytes; thus, it should be your first choice for hydration.

What should you have except water for hydration?

1. Fresh Fruits and vegetables

Most of us don’t look towards fruits and vegetables as a source of hydration. But is this the right way? Not really, as fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water and some nutrients that you may be unable to find in plain water.

Like fruits and vegetables, their juices can also be very beneficial to hydrate your body. You can consider fruit and vegetables as the all-rounder that solves hunger and thirst issues during Menopause.

2. Certain Teas

Teas can be beneficial in quenching the thirst of menopausal women. Avoid milk-based tea and opt for herbal or green teas.

Ice tea can also be a great option to get relief from hot flashes. Ensure you use the least sugar or alternatives for preparing your tea.

3. Cooling drinks

Cooling drinks are a great way to provide your body with comfort and hydration during Menopause. However, opting for carbonated drinks or alcohol should be completely avoided as it might hurt your body rather than helping it. Thus, one should look forward to coolers like mint and lemon-based drinks prepared with water and herbs.

Smoothies can also help you during the symptoms of Menopause. Use sweeteners such as jaggery and honey, and avoid sugar.

4. Coconut Water

Coconut water is one of the most understated hydration drinks in case of Menopause. It hydrates the body and provides nutrients not found in most fruit and vegetable-based drinks.

If you are going through menopausal symptoms, include coconut water at least once or twice in your daily hydration routine.

5. Buttermilk

We all know that buttermilk helps digestion; however, it can also help keep your body hydrated and healthy during Menopause.

As it contains water and milk-based liquid, it hydrates you and provides your body with nutrients such as calcium.

What level of hydration is required during Menopause?

Menopause usually brings with it a lot of water loss. It becomes very important for women to match the loss of water with water intake. It is recommended to have somewhere around 2 liters of plain water every day, excluding other sources of water intake such as fruits and other drinks like coolers and teas.

When you have enough water and water-based fruits throughout the day, no sweat during your physical activities can make you feel lazy.

What kind of drinks should be avoided during Menopause?

There are a lot of drinks that you may wish to avoid during Menopause. One of them is alcohol, as it makes the situation even worse. Alcohol is a dehydrator that may have many further complications. It can severely impact your body, including your teeth and liver.

Fizzy carbonated drinks are also a big no as they are loaded with sugar. One can also keep packaged fruit juices as they are very high in sugar.

Does hydration help reduce the symptoms of Menopause?

The first symptom in which hydration can be highly helpful is bloating due to hormonal changes. On the other hand, dryness caused due to Menopause can also be tackled with proper water intake.

Ideal water intake also helps women fight weight gain during Menopause.

Conclusion

We know every woman goes through Menopause, and keeping their body hydrated during this period is tricky. Water remains the undisputed winner in the case of hydration. Also, add some water-heavy fruits to your diet to ensure your body gets nutrients.You should also look for some of the medications after contacting your doctor. If you are not good at creating planned diets, consult a dietician. A dietician will help you frame a diet you can use along with your proper water intake. It’s high time that women prioritize their health needs during Menopause. Please have a look at the other articles written by me to learn more!