One of the many health problems that you can develop when you're suffering from bulimia is dehydration. If you're purging several times a day, you're losing a considerable amount of fluid — and this can leave you with severe dehydration. There are many risks associated with your body not having enough fluids, including a heightened risk of issues with your kidneys and potentially even a likelihood of having a seizure. While you should definitely seek treatment to help overcome your bulimia, here are some tips that you can employ in the meantime to avoid dehydration.
Consume Water After Purging
Try to get into the habit of drinking water after you purge — and, in general, try to drink water throughout the day. Failing to drink enough water puts you at risk of dehydration to begin with, but the likelihood of dehydration climbs dramatically if you're purging several times daily. Even though you might feel resistant to the idea of consuming water after purging, it's important to recognize that doing so won't affect your weight and is critical for helping you to avoid health complications. Keeping a water bottle with you can be a useful way to remember the need to drink. You might even consider a "smart" water bottle that will send you reminders that it's time to take a drink.
Avoid Salty Foods
Those who suffer from bulimia take different approaches to diet. While anorexics tend to consume very few calories, those with bulimia may sometimes consume what seems like a regular diet, but make a trip to the bathroom soon after eating. Regardless of how you eat, staying away from foods that are high in sodium will lessen your risk of dehydration. When you're already losing fluids due to purging, you can get dehydrated quicker if you're also consuming a high-sodium diet.
Be Careful About Vigorous Exercise
Vigorous exercise is another way that you can get dehydrated, and the risks are even higher if you're losing fluids due to purging. While exercise is always important, you should be wary about working out too hard. The harder you exercise, the more you sweat — and thus the risk of dehydration is even higher. If you wish to keep active, something simple such as walking can be beneficial because it's unlikely to cause you to sweat much. Keep in mind that hot temperatures can also increase your perspiration and thus your risk of dehydration, so exercising in cooler environments is a good idea.
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