Hydration really isn’t a laughing matter. Once my aunt, whom we live with and care for, got so hydrated that she began to get sick. When I told her she needed to drink more water, she didn’t drink much more, and had to see her doctor. Her brother and sister then came to take her to their home to monitor her liquid drinking so they wouldn’t have to hospitalize her, and it was a scary couple of days.

So you’d think that I would have learned how important it is—but not so! This past weekend was our annual family reunion, which we usually hold in the spring. This year we had people ask to hold it in the summer since it’s been so much colder in the spring, but unfortunately it was so hot we were all sweltering. We managed to stay relatively comfortable with water guns (which I called “squirters,” since I can’t stand guns—not that it helped much!), ice cubes, drinks, and cold towels wrapped around some of our necks.

While I chased after my four-year-old with my husband and managed to make sure she was well-hydrated, fed, sun-blocked and bug-blocked, I neglected to do so myself. As a result, I got very weak, very crabby, and very sick. And bile-puke is so much worse than food-puke for me; it’s so bitter and comes in such gasping heaves that—well, I’m sure you didn’t want that mental picture to begin with.

The point is that it’s not fun, and it’s certainly not healthy, to become dehydrated. As a result of my stupidity, I missed out on several important things—including some scheduled work time and two dates I’ve been looking forward to—a friend’s birthday and dinner reservations with my husband—for weeks. To avoid dehydration in the future, here are some tips that I will definitely heed (please feel free to heed along with me):

• Drink plenty of fluids. I had a bit of iced tea and half a wine cooler for the whole day—not good at all! Water is definitely best when it comes to staying hydrated, and juice and sports drinks can help as well. Just don’t rely on tea, alcohol, soda, or coffee to help you stay hydrated because they’re diuretics designed to help you lose, not retain, water.
• Drink on schedule. Even if you don’t feel thirsty or if you think you’re too busy—which was my own problem—you still need to drink regularly, especially while outside in the heat. The rule of thumb is to drink before you are even thirsty—which should be every 20 to 30 minutes. This may be more often if you are outside.
• And it’s pretty much that simple! Dehydration is especially dangerous for people with diabetes, children, and the elderly, so be sure to keep yourself and your loved ones nice and hydrated all year long.