Is working shift work harder than playing a game of tennis? Probably, but not if you asked the players currently competing in the Australian Open in Melbourne right now.
With a week of record temperatures (4 days of over 40 degrees), even the world’s best are struggling to overcome fatigue and extreme exhaustion.
Of course “fatigue” is a familiar word for shift workers everywhere with sleep-deprivation being the number one cause.
But what about dehydration? Because if you throw “dehydration” into the “sleep-deprivation” mix, then you’ve certainly got an uphill battle on your hands. Quite simply, if your body loses too much water then your cells, tissues and organs dehydrate making you feel weak, exhausted and even delirious.
Sounds like a typical day at the office when you work 24/7 doesn’t it?!!
Of course the obvious dietary sources to help overcome dehydration (and fatigue) is water itself along with other beverages (coconut water is awesome), but most of us underestimate the beneficial effects of our fruits and vegetables with some containing up to 90% water.
Percentage of Water in Selected Foods:
90-99%
Strawberries
Watermelon
Lettuce
Cabbage
Celery
Spinach
Broccoli
80-89%
Apples
Grapes
Oranges
Carrots
Source: ‘Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition’ by Rolfes, Pinna and Whitney.
So if you’re needing some extra help with fatigue and exhaustion (besides trying to get as much sleep as possible) …
* Make sure you’re incorporating more of the above fruits and veges into your diet each and every day – juicing is a great way to do this and
* Keep drinking water consistently throughout the day (remembering thirst drives a person to seek water, but it usually lags behind the body’s need – ie; keep drinking well before you begin to feel thirsty).
For those working in extreme heat conditions 24/7 (and most vulnerable to dehydration) – you might find taking the supplement “Megahydrate” particularly beneficial as research has shown this supplement significantly increases hydration at a cellular level and also helps with pain relief from headaches, sore muscles, and inflammation of the joints.
On that note, I’m off to watch a bit of the tennis on the telly (in the air-conditioning) with plenty of water on hand minus the heat!
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