Dealing with Thirst in Ramadhan and Summer
We can live 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. In Ramadhan and in summer we need to focus more upon the lack of water than the lack of food. The human body is at least 65% to 75% water and this varies by the bio-types and our sex. Water is required for circulation, blood and lymphatic volume, connective tissue, joint lubrication, the delivery of nutrition, digestion, the elimination of waste, brain function, etc. In 19 hour fasts and hot conditions it is more important to stay hydrated than to rush to eat before you have had enough to drink.
To ensure that you drink enough, give yourself 15 to 30 minutes to drink and hydrate before eating your meal. Don’t gulp the water, drink it in sips or small mouthfuls swallowing deliberately, with breathing breaks between mouthfuls, take no more than 3 mouthfuls with a breathing break in between which consists of at least 3 breaths. This allows your body to manage its increase of blood and lymphatic volume without seriously stressing out its capacity and especially the kidneys. If you find that you have no control over the impulse to gulp, then you need to generally increase the amount of water that you drink daily. Be mindful of the way you drink and the way you feel as and after you drink.
You will know that you have consumed enough water if you urinate within an hour after drinking. Keep drinking through the night until your urine becomes light coloured. You have definitely drank too much if it becomes colourless. Remember that your kidneys need to filter the blood regularly to be fed. Not drinking sufficient amounts of water will damage the kidneys as will being excessive. There is actually such a thing as water poisoning.
Now when I am talking about water, I am talking about water, unadulterated, meaning with absolutely nothing in it but water!