This summer, there were days when my body simply felt heavy.
“Maybe it’s just summer fatigue.”
That was what I thought at first.
But then I began to wonder whether mild dehydration might also have been part of the problem.
Of course, this is only my personal experience, not a medical diagnosis.
A small discovery at a family restaurant
One day, I was at a family restaurant with a self-service drink bar.
I drank several glasses of vegetable juice.
Strangely, my body seemed to want more.
And yet, despite drinking quite a lot, I didn’t need to go to the bathroom as often as I expected.
“Was I actually short of fluids?”
That thought crossed my mind.
Even when we spend time in air-conditioned rooms, it is still possible not to drink enough.
Perhaps drinking small amounts regularly is important, even when we don’t feel particularly thirsty.
I can’t drink large amounts of water. So what should I do?
I’m not very good at drinking a lot of plain water at once.
If I drink too many sweet beverages, I tend to lose my appetite.
Oral rehydration solutions such as OS-1 are designed to replace fluids and electrolytes during dehydration, but personally, they are not something I can happily gulp down in large amounts.
So I thought about vegetable juice.
It comes in small servings, provides fluid, and may also contribute some nutrients.
During the summer, when appetite decreases, we may also end up eating fewer vegetables than usual.
Vegetable juice may therefore be one way of supplementing both fluid and nutrients such as water-soluble vitamins.
Of course, it is not a substitute for eating vegetables.
For me, it is simply one possible addition to my normal diet.
I bought a pack of 12 small cartons
Food safety is another concern during the hot Japanese summer.
I don’t particularly like the idea of carrying an opened drink around for hours in the heat.
So I decided to try small, single-serving cartons, even though they cost a little more.
If they helped me stay well, I thought they might be worth trying.
I found a reasonably priced pack of 12 vegetable juices.
The product I chose was a particularly rich type, marketed as providing the equivalent of a day’s vegetables in one carton.
I took two of them with me on a trip.
What happened when I took two on a trip?
I drank the vegetable juice while walking in the summer heat.
That day, I didn’t experience the usual feeling of heaviness.
“This might work for me.”
But then I noticed something else.
My stools became a little looser than usual.
There is an important point to add here.
The vegetable juice I had drunk at the family restaurant and the packaged vegetable juice I took on my trip were different products.
The drink-bar version tasted quite light to me, and I had no digestive problems after drinking several glasses.
The packaged product, on the other hand, tasted much richer.
Even when two products are both called “vegetable juice,” their ingredients and nutritional composition can differ.
So it would not be reasonable to say:
“I could drink several glasses at the restaurant, but two cartons upset my stomach.”
They were not directly comparable.
I also don’t know whether the vegetable juice itself was responsible for my looser stools.
My meals, physical condition, or other factors that day may also have played a role.
I continued my little experiment at home
I still had plenty left from my pack of 12.
So after returning from my trip, I continued drinking them during my normal daily routine and watched how my body responded.
In my case, when I drank two cartons in one day, my stools again tended to become a little loose.
With one carton, I didn’t notice any particular problem.
This is only my own experience, but one carton a day of this particular product seems to suit me better.
Something that seems healthy is not necessarily better simply because we consume more of it.
My solution: bring one and buy the rest as needed
On later trips, I decided to carry just one small carton of vegetable juice.
For the rest of my fluids, I buy drinks from vending machines or shops depending on how I feel at the time.
For now, my formula is simple:
One vegetable juice from home, then buy whatever else I need along the way.
The heat changes.
The distance I walk changes.
And my physical condition changes from day to day.
Sometimes I want water. Sometimes I want something else.
Rather than deciding everything before leaving home, I prefer to leave a little room to listen to my body and choose along the way.
That seems to suit the way I travel.
One unexpected weakness of paper cartons
Small paper cartons are convenient to carry.
But using them while travelling revealed one problem I hadn’t considered.
What do I do with them after I finish drinking?
With a plastic bottle, I can put the cap back on and return it to my bag until I find a bin.
A paper carton, however, still has a straw sticking out of it.
If there is no bin nearby, I have to carry the empty carton around.
It’s a very small problem — but an annoying one.
I had assumed that a small carton meant I could drink it anywhere.
Now I think it is better, when possible, to drink it somewhere where I can dispose of the empty carton properly afterwards.
Another small lesson learned on the road.
Heat illness: what happens afterwards can differ by country
The response to heat-related illness can also vary depending on the country or region and its healthcare system.
In Japan, when symptoms are severe enough to require emergency transport, an ambulance can be requested by calling 119, and ambulance transport itself is generally provided without charge.
In some other countries and regions, however, using an ambulance may involve a fee.
When travelling abroad, it is therefore worth checking not only sightseeing information and transportation, but also the local emergency number, healthcare system and travel insurance arrangements.
Trying to work all of that out after becoming ill in an unfamiliar country is difficult.
For me, that is another reason why preparation — and preventing heat illness in the first place — matters.
Finding what is “just right” for me
It began with a simple idea:
“Maybe vegetable juice could help me get some fluid and nutrients at the same time.”
I bought 12 cartons.
I took two on a trip.
Then I experimented with the remaining cartons during my normal daily life.
For this particular product, one carton seemed to suit me better than two.
And by actually carrying the cartons on a trip, I discovered the unexpected problem of what to do with the empty package afterwards.
Some things you only learn by trying them.
This summer, rather than waiting until I feel thirsty, I’m trying to drink small amounts regularly.
And for travelling, my current approach is:
Bring one carton, then buy the rest according to how I feel.
More is not always better simply because something seems healthy.
Try something.
See how your body responds.
Adjust a little.
That is how I hope to find what is “just right” for me and make it through the summer.
This article is based on my personal experience. Vegetable juices vary in ingredients and nutritional composition, and individual responses may differ. Vegetable juice is not intended to treat heatstroke or dehydration. If someone shows signs of serious heat illness, cannot drink fluids independently, or has altered consciousness, appropriate medical assessment or emergency assistance should be sought.
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