Although a banya, hammam, steam room and sauna each have their own characteristics, the outcome is nearly always the same: sweating. However, there is no need to be alarmed because in fact sweating is beneficial; indeed, it is the body’s inbuilt way of keeping us cool. Of course, we have not yet developed a way of sweating pure water and the salt left behind can affect the feel of our skin and the taste on our lips. This is due to the various constituents of sweat such as sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium, small amounts of urea and lactate, as well as trace elements like copper, zinc and iron.
One of the associated disadvantages of sweating is dehydration and the importance of avoiding this has been well established down the years. As sweating causes us to lose excessive amounts of electrolytes and water, it is vital to ensure that our fluid intake always exceeds our sweat loss. Besides its obvious thirst-quenching qualities, water is essential for digestion and metabolic waste. In addition, electrolytes are important in helping the body to retain water so they must be replaced otherwise our cells will not function properly and we will be unable to maintain our energy and stability. Our body’s performance will greatly diminish if rehydration is not achieved.
At Banya No.1, sweating is part of the beneficial process but we also stress the importance of rehydration which can only be achieved if the body replaces any lost electrolytes and water. Some companies recommend drinking their special electrolyte drinks but we suggest that as long as you are eating solid foods and drinking lots of plain H20 you will be absolutely fine. With this in mind, we advise our customers to visit Banya’s lounge bar after their treatments. Our traditional menu offers variety of salty and healthy foods, which are high in electrolytes: pickled vegetables, salted fresh and dry fish, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Don’t forget to drink lots of water!
Nowadays, people love to work up a sweat but the majority of us rarely consider how much we sweat and consequently how much water we lose while exercising. As a result, we often do not drink enough fluids to replace it. The importance of rectifying this problem cannot be underestimated because when the body is dehydrated it does not function as efficiently as it should. This is because the blood becomes thicker and in turn the heart works harder to pump the blood around the body. As a consequence, it is much more difficult for the muscles to utilise nutrients.
For these reasons, while you are relaxing in our steam room or enjoying the benefits of Parenie, please bear in mind that you are probably losing not just weight but also important electrolytes. If you are aware of this, you will almost certainly remember the importance of treating your body like a temple and you will replace any lost electrolytes by consuming healthy and salted food and drinks. In this way, you will not only feel completely relaxed and rejuvenated but also re-hydrated.
