Staying Hydrated on Fast Days

High blood sugar can make your body lose more fluid. Your kidneys filter sugar out of your blood. When blood sugar runs high, extra sugar spills into your urine.

Your body cannot take all of it back. Water travels along with that sugar, so you pass more urine than usual.

Think of the water as a passenger riding along with the sugar.

A person stands beside a big water tank that stands for the water in their body. Full, the tank is near the top. Draining, water drips out of the tap and the level falls. Sipping, the person drinks small sips from a glass and the level climbs back. Steady, sips in and drips out keep the level even.

During the hours your plan allows drinks, sip water steadily. Keep a glass nearby. Take small sips through the day, not one big drink. Plain water is the simplest choice, because drinks with calories break most fasts.

Ask your doctor how much fluid is right for you. Heart or kidney conditions and hot weather can change that.

Dehydration means your body has less fluid than it needs. When fluid runs low, blood sugar can be harder to manage.

Low fluid can also add to tiredness. On a long fasting day, that tiredness can make the hours feel even longer. Steady sips during allowed hours help you avoid running low.

Key takeaways

• High blood sugar can make your body pass more fluid as urine.
• Steady sips through allowed hours beat one big drink.
• Low fluid can make blood sugar harder to manage and add to tiredness.

Try it

Before your drinking hours begin, put a glass of water where you can see it. Then take small sips through the day.