Watch your drinking habits
Ice-cold water may not be the right remedy to battle hot weather
It is scorching hot outside. You're sweating buckets and your body is signalling that it needs you to replenish lost fluid, and fast. The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, a bottle or a can of ice-cold drink.
It could be because apart from coffee and tea, most drink commercials we see on television, which greatly affect our consumption behaviour, present ice-cold drinks dripping with condensation, grabbed fresh out of the fridge or a bucket full of ice. We are hard-wired to think about these images when we want something to drink. After all, that's how commercials work - instilling certain images into our brains so we think about them when the time comes.
Speaking of taste, some drinks do taste better when they are cold. Carbonated drinks, for example, taste flat when they are not chilled.
However, when it comes to replenishing lost water, icy water might not work as much as room temperature water (around 25C), according to Dr Juthamas Kuesakul, a specialist in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture at Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital.
The idea is to replenish water at body temperature, because the body will have to adjust the temperature to around 36C before the water is absorbed.
If your body is heated, such as in summer or after a workout, it is fine to drink something a little cooler, but not ice cold, said Dr Juthamas. However, she noted that in extremely dry climates, your body needs cooler water.
A group of researchers tried to determine whether cool sports drinks work better than room temperature sports drinks. They divided athletes into two groups, the first given cold drinks and the second given room temperature drinks after exercising.
They were asked to exercise again and their performance was measured. It was found that the cooling down of the body of athletes who drank cold sports drinks at 7C was faster, meaning the body did not have to expend too much energy on temperature regulation. As a result there's more energy available for the next physical performance. However, downing a whole glass of icy water can instead shock the body or even cause broken capillaries. For normal people, it is better to let the body cool down naturally. Accelerating the cooling process with help from icy drinking water might trap all sorts of bacteria and dirt inside the pores, since the body cannot eliminate them through sweat properly, said Dr Juthamas, adding that since cold water makes blood vessels shrink, it might cause chest pain which results from inadequate blood flow.
Dr Juthamas explained that under normal circumstance, when your body is not overheated, cold water can do more harm than good. Icy water causes the intestines to contract, so if drunk during a meal, it could be interfere with the body's digestive system, said the doctor.
Research has also found that our stomachs digest food at its best at a temperature of 37C, so it is better to drink something warm during the meal in order not to interfere with the digestion.
Warm water, on the contrary, helps promote better circulation in the body. Chinese people like drinking hot tea as they believe it can increase blood flow, induce sweat and promote the elimination of toxins through sweat.
The increased blood flow also relieves fatigue better. However, the weather in China and in Thailand is different. While hot tea can be calming on winter days in China, it might not be an ideal choice on summer days in Thailand.
While cooler water can help the body cool down and quench your thirst, do not drink the whole glass in one go. Instead, sip it slowly so that the body gets adjusted gradually.
A drastic change in temperature in a big dose is not good for the body. Drinking icy water quickly can also cause brain freeze - another sign that your body isn't too happy with this instant drop in temperature.
It is important to know your body's natural temperature. Dr Juthamas explained that according to Chinese medicine, each person has one of the five elements - earth, wind, water, fire and wood. Those with fire element sweat more than others and are constantly thirsty. For these people, slightly chilled water is recommended to keep the body's temperature down.
She also pointed out that as we grow older, our body temperature becomes lower as well. Warm drinks are therefore friendlier options for your silver years.
Dr Juthamas recommends drinking two glasses of warm water first thing in the morning, even before you brush your teeth. Some bacteria in your mouth can actually be good for the digestive system, so don't worry about drinking dirty water. Leave a 45-minute window before having your breakfast. Before and after every meal, drink a glass of room-temperature water, plus a glass of warm water an hour before bedtime. That's eight glasses a day, which is all you need on most days to make up for the water that your body loses in sweating, urination, bowel movements and other functions, which is about 2-2.5 litres.
If you exercise, a glass before and after the sweat session will be enough to replenish water loss. For every cup of caffeinated drink you consume, compensate with the same amount of water, as caffeine can dehydrate your body and cause frequent urination.
Some drinks naturally have a cooling effect despite their temperature, making them ideal drinks for hot days. Chrysanthemum tea, millet juice, roselle juice and butterfly pea juice have cooling properties, so have them close by. They are ideal drinks almost all year round, since we don't really have winter days in Thailand.