Dehydration Prevention

[harleyquinn]

My kids voted Moaning Myrtles bathroom in Hogsmeade as their favorite. Maybe it's time for us to pick a Disney winner too!

I think we missed that on our trip. I remember taking my daughter in there and trying to hear her, but I don’t remember hearing anything, so maybe we didn’t. Something to remember next time!

My favorite Disney one is what we call “Rapunzel’s fancy bathrooms.” We like to joke that some princesses get rides or restaurants (or rides AND restaurants) and Rapunzel gets bathrooms.

 

[harleyquinn]

If you are sun sensitive do you have a really good pair of sunglasses? Something like Maui Jim? My daughter and dad both have a pair and swear by them.

I wear glasses with Transitions lenses, so probably not? I’m hoping to wear contacts as much as possible (trying dailies for the first time, ive become too sensitive to everything else), so thanks for the thought!

 

[Sarahslay]

Hi everyone! Veteran summer WDW traveler (DH is a teacher)here! We do everything we can to beat the heat and sun, but with all of the usual things, I end up dehydrated pretty much every day. I’m blond and very fair skinned and I sweat a lot. For me this equals extremely painful headaches every evening. I drink so much water that we typically stop at every bathroom.

I‘m planning on supplementing my water with Drip Drop and Nuun this trip, but I just read about Gatorade chews? They seem to be more about energy and carbs than hydration though. Are there other products?

Does anyone else suffer from dehydration and how do you deal?

For the record here is my list of sun/heat busting products and tips:
1. Take a real break every afternoon (for me I shower and nap or chill. If I swim it’s a short dip if I can find shade)
2. I drink at least 20 oz of water before leaving the room. I go through around 100 oz at least per day.
3. moisture wicking clothing
4. Cooling towels (our favorite are actually the ones they sell at Disney. We’ve tried 4 brands).
5. Fans and misters
6. Walk through ac whenever possible

this trip I’m adding a uv umbrella though I doubt I’ll ever use it and a Mission cooling sun hat that my daughter will probably steal.

I have health problems that cause me to be heat sensitive, and I dehydrate quickly, and have found that Liquid I.V works best for me for hydration purposes. Everyone is different though, but I found it easy to take the powder packs in and add them to my bottles of water I bring with me. I get the HUGE bottles of Smart Water at Costco (I think each bottle is like 32 oz., somewhere around there), and I drink 4 of those a day plus whatever I get at my meals. Sometimes I I'll grab an extra bottle of water at a cart, just because, I bring two bottles in the morning and then two in the afternoon and blow through the morning ones too quickly....oops. I usually add the Liquid I.V to one or two of the bottles, usually one midday and one later in the day with a "regular" bottle before and after the midday. I had problems in the past on my summer trips, and ended up in trouble a couple of times, but on my most recent hot weather trips using this I had zero issues.

I do take a break after lunch, go back to the parks later after the hottest part of the day is over. I wear moisture wicking clothes and carry fans, wear hats, but don't find much use in the cooling towels (just personal preference), and hated carrying around the umbrella so that lasted all of one trip. The key for me really is taking that break and replenishing electrolytes.....and also having very good sunglasses for keeping headaches at bay, I didn't realize how much my cheaper sunglasses (that were good enough for driving) were aiding in my miserable state until I shelled out for some good ones before my last trip. I also suffer from migraines so this is a must, and it totally helped!

 

[harleyquinn]

I have health problems that cause me to be heat sensitive, and I dehydrate quickly, and have found that Liquid I.V works best for me for hydration purposes. Everyone is different though, but I found it easy to take the powder packs in and add them to my bottles of water I bring with me. I get the HUGE bottles of Smart Water at Costco (I think each bottle is like 32 oz., somewhere around there), and I drink 4 of those a day plus whatever I get at my meals. Sometimes I I'll grab an extra bottle of water at a cart, just because, I bring two bottles in the morning and then two in the afternoon and blow through the morning ones too quickly....oops. I usually add the Liquid I.V to one or two of the bottles, usually one midday and one later in the day with a "regular" bottle before and after the midday. I had problems in the past on my summer trips, and ended up in trouble a couple of times, but on my most recent hot weather trips using this I had zero issues.

I do take a break after lunch, go back to the parks later after the hottest part of the day is over. I wear moisture wicking clothes and carry fans, wear hats, but don't find much use in the cooling towels (just personal preference), and hated carrying around the umbrella so that lasted all of one trip. The key for me really is taking that break and replenishing electrolytes.....and also having very good sunglasses for keeping headaches at bay, I didn't realize how much my cheaper sunglasses (that were good enough for driving) were aiding in my miserable state until I shelled out for some good ones before my last trip. I also suffer from migraines so this is a must, and it totally helped!

hmmmm. Wondering if my glasses are part of my problem.

What brands do you recommend? Maui Jim is too much for me!

 

[Sarahslay]

hmmmm. Wondering if my glasses are part of my problem.

What brands do you recommend? Maui Jim is too much for me!

I got a good pair of Ray Bans that have both polarized and gradient lenses so they’re good in multiple types of outdoor light. They were having a sale on their website and I designed my own, it was really awesome, if you can get it on sale they’re about $150 or so which while still expensive is less than Maui Jim.

 

[Kailani6]

hmmmm. Wondering if my glasses are part of my problem.

What brands do you recommend? Maui Jim is too much for me!

REI and Dicks carry polarized sunglasses in the $20-$40 range. I cant buy expensive glasses, I always end up losing or breaking them. The ones at the sporting goods stores are amazing though. Just make sure they are "polarized" not just UV blocking. Polarized sunglasses make everything look better too!

 

[Kailani6]

https://www.skratchlabs.com/
Also we never do Gatorade/Powerade as no hfcs or artificial flavors consumed in our family, Skratch is an excellent alternative.

Thank you for this. It seems like all of the popular ones right now have artificial sweeteners in them (i.e. stevia, sucralose, erythirol, etc) and I am very sensitive to those even though a lot of companies try to make it seem like they are healthier options to sugar they are not good for people with any kind of GI issue or who need to stay away from inflammatory foods.
The Skratch ingredients look perfect for me!

 

[GreatLakes]

Anyone that is looking for electrolytes without sugar take a look at Smart Water. We always bring some with us to Disney. If you don't want to bring water Nuun Sport and Gu Hydration tablets are good and only have 1g of sugar.

OP mentioned moisture wicking clothes and I always recommend that. There are also good moisture wicking options that add UV protection. The Arc'Teryx Cormac Crew is my favorite but there are other good options. If you look for trail running shirts with UV protection you'll find a bunch.

For sunglasses check out Goodr. They are light, inexpensive, and come in a lot of shapes and colors. Many running stores carry them if you want to try them out locally. Roka also make great lightweight sunglasses but are a little more expensive.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have totally noticed that electrolytes=sodium!

I am also trying to stay away from the extra sugar and I don’t like Powerade, but with all the walking I think I will add that into my resort mug rotation.

Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming!

I have noticed during my summer trips I need to have a vitamin water smart water, or gatorade at least once a day. You sweat out more than just water, and those things also need to be replaced. I can feel the difference in my body if I don't drink something besides plain water.

 

[seashell7290]

Tom Brady’s line tb12 makes a squirt bottle sugar free electrolyte product that’s decent. It has no flavor and is salty. But I feel like that means it’s working. Can buy it on Amazon. I too suffer from heat sensitivity and dehydration. AC breaks are key to slow down the sweating. Listen to your body and get to ac before you are overheated and dizzy. Another thing you can try is heat acclimation. If you live in a hot place or have access to a sauna, slowly increasing the time you spend in the heat can help your body sweat less.

 

[bookgirl]

Thank you for this. It seems like all of the popular ones right now have artificial sweeteners in them (i.e. stevia, sucralose, erythirol, etc) and I am very sensitive to those even though a lot of companies try to make it seem like they are healthier options to sugar they are not good for people with any kind of GI issue or who need to stay away from inflammatory foods.
The Skratch ingredients look perfect for me!

Stevia is actually not artifcial (its from the Stevia plant). Though it is mixed with other ingredients, like Splenda, and those can be artificial.

I buy a couple of products that have stevia and it's not bad, though on it's own I find it to be a bit bitter. But it's an option if you can find a powder that only lists the stevia and not the sucralose. That is assuming the refining process is not what affects you since that is also a bit of a food trigger for some.

 

[DLgal]

Blonde and fair-skinned as well as a migraine sufferer.

The most important thing is eat salty food, bananas, and I take daily magnesium supplements.

Use the UV umbrella! It is MUCH better than a hat. Hats make my head hot, which means a headache later. I don't want wet hair, so wetting the hat is out of the question. The UV umbrella is amazing.

Dark, polarized sunglasses. Wear them ALL day, even under the umbrella. Even in the pool. Add a lightweight, white running cap with a dark rim on the underside. This is key for migraine prevention as well.

But in general, add salt to all your food. You actually WANT to retain water and you should not be needing the bathroom as often if you eat enough salt. Salt, for me, keeps headaches away. When I sweat, I lose a LOT of salt, so I have to replenish it. Have no blood pressure concerns so my doctor said eat as much salt as I want.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Hi everyone! Veteran summer WDW traveler (DH is a teacher)here! We do everything we can to beat the heat and sun, but with all of the usual things, I end up dehydrated pretty much every day. I’m blond and very fair skinned and I sweat a lot. For me this equals extremely painful headaches every evening. I drink so much water that we typically stop at every bathroom.

I‘m planning on supplementing my water with Drip Drop and Nuun this trip, but I just read about Gatorade chews? They seem to be more about energy and carbs than hydration though. Are there other products?

Does anyone else suffer from dehydration and how do you deal?

For the record here is my list of sun/heat busting products and tips:
1. Take a real break every afternoon (for me I shower and nap or chill. If I swim it’s a short dip if I can find shade)
2. I drink at least 20 oz of water before leaving the room. I go through around 100 oz at least per day.
3. moisture wicking clothing
4. Cooling towels (our favorite are actually the ones they sell at Disney. We’ve tried 4 brands).
5. Fans and misters
6. Walk through ac whenever possible

this trip I’m adding a uv umbrella though I doubt I’ll ever use it and a Mission cooling sun hat that my daughter will probably steal.

From everything you said you really aren't dehydrated, it sounds more like you're experiencing heat exhaustion. If you were dehydrated you wouldn't be peeing all the time. Yes, many of the issues do go hand in hand with each other but you also need to know, it's not what you do while on vacation that effects your reaction to heat/sun, it's your hydration, physical fitness and diet for days/weeks leading up to your summer trip that matter.

Sounds like you have a plan for while you are there like drinking a lot of water and eating chews which is fine but you need to also consider what you do at home leading up to the trip. Ideally you need to go into your trip already fully hydrated, a good balance of vitamins/minerals and elevated endurance, try to avoid ibuprofen, alcohol and any diuretics a few days prior like a lot of caffeine too. Good luck!

 

[harleyquinn]

From everything you said you really aren't dehydrated, it sounds more like you're experiencing heat exhaustion. If you were dehydrated you wouldn't be peeing all the time. Yes, many of the issues do go hand in hand with each other but you also need to know, it's not what you do while on vacation that effects your reaction to heat/sun, it's your hydration, physical fitness and diet for days/weeks leading up to your summer trip that matter.

Sounds like you have a plan for while you are there like drinking a lot of water and eating chews which is fine but you need to also consider what you do at home leading up to the trip. Ideally you need to go into your trip already fully hydrated, a good balance of vitamins/minerals and elevated endurance, try to avoid ibuprofen, alcohol and any diuretics a few days prior like a lot of caffeine too. Good luck!

Thank you for this. I've lost 35 pounds and am eating much much healthier and getting much more exercise than I was on previous trips. Hopefully that will make a big difference, but I'll be sure to really pay attention to my diet beyond calorie counting for the next few weeks. We leave at the end of the month.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Thank you for this. I've lost 35 pounds and am eating much much healthier and getting much more exercise than I was on previous trips. Hopefully that will make a big difference, but I'll be sure to really pay attention to my diet beyond calorie counting for the next few weeks. We leave at the end of the month.

Wow, that's awesome, congrats! Hope you guys have a great trip!

 

[harleyquinn]

Blonde and fair-skinned as well as a migraine sufferer.

The most important thing is eat salty food, bananas, and I take daily magnesium supplements.

Use the UV umbrella! It is MUCH better than a hat. Hats make my head hot, which means a headache later. I don't want wet hair, so wetting the hat is out of the question. The UV umbrella is amazing.

Dark, polarized sunglasses. Wear them ALL day, even under the umbrella. Even in the pool. Add a lightweight, white running cap with a dark rim on the underside. This is key for migraine prevention as well.

But in general, add salt to all your food. You actually WANT to retain water and you should not be needing the bathroom as often if you eat enough salt. Salt, for me, keeps headaches away. When I sweat, I lose a LOT of salt, so I have to replenish it. Have no blood pressure concerns so my doctor said eat as much salt as I want.

Would something like this what you mean by a running cap? It would be nice to have some extra protection for my scalp.

Running hat

 

[lilmc]

Would something like this what you mean by a running cap? It would be nice to have some extra protection for my scalp.

https://bocogear.com/product/womens-tempo-hat-plum/
something like this is what I use (also blonde, fair skinned, and prone to migraines)

 

[harleyquinn]

https://bocogear.com/product/womens-tempo-hat-plum/
something like this is what I use (also blonde, fair skinned, and prone to migraines)

Awesome thank you!

 

[DLgal]

Would something like this what you mean by a running cap? It would be nice to have some extra protection for my scalp.

Running hat

Yes, exactly. If you are a Costco member, they always have some there, usually Adidas brand, for about $10. But any brand made of a lightweight, quick dry material will work.