Stay Hydrated This Summer
As the summer heats up, it’s important to stay hydrated.
Your body is continuously losing water through breath, sweat and urine. If you become dehydrated it can make you feel tired and drained, and lead to headaches and migraines, brain fog, chronic pain, sleep problems, and it can even weaken your immune system.
How much fluid do you need?
You’ve probably heard that you need about 8 glasses of water each day. While this is not an exact amount for everyone, it is a fairly good general guideline to go by – but you may need more during the hot summer months or when exercising.
Keep in mind that 1 glass is equivalent to 8 ounces (250 mL), and it doesn’t have to be all purely water – or even come in purely liquid form!
You can meet a portion of your fluid needs by consuming foods with a high water content.
Many fruits and vegetables are made mostly of water (some more than 90%) such as cucumbers, celery, lettuce (especially iceberg lettuce), zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, pears, grapes and oranges.
An added bonus of consuming foods with a high water content is that they also provide fibre and help keep you feeling full – this is very helpful for anyone trying to lose weight.
Try combining liquids and hydrating foods to make delicious and refreshing thirst quenchers such as this Green Tea Soda.
Green Tea Soda (http://www.bhg.com/recipe/drinks/green-tea-soda/)
Makes 8 servings
Prep: 20 mins/ Chill: several hours
Ingredients
8 bags green tea
4 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons honey or sugar
4 cups assorted fresh fruit, such as white or regular nectarine wedges, lime slices, blueberries, and/or raspberries
1 liter plain or flavored sparkling water, such as raspberry, strawberry, or peach, chilled
2 tablespoons snipped fresh mint or 8 to 10 mint sprigs
Directions
Add tea bags to boiling water and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes; remove and discard tea bags. Cover and chill brewed tea.
Before serving, add honey or sugar to chilled tea. Divide tea mixture among eight to ten 12-ounce glasses. Add fruit to each glass and fill with sparkling water. Top with fresh mint.
