It’s Summer – Let’s Drink!
Here are some great ways to include more water into your day. Did you know? The average person needs about 2 litres of water per day – and that’s without exercise. So, drink up.
Just Chill!
Drink room temperature or slightly chilled water, not cold water. Room temperature water is easier to digest and allows for a greater intake. So skip the ice if you are trying to hydrate. Keep it cool, but not icy.
TEA!
Tea is not just for the cold months. Explore the exciting world of teas that can be enjoyed chilled (for a quick boost of hydration after exercise). Consider green varieties naturally flavored with mint, goji, and hibiscus for an immune boost. Kids love mint, and a naturally decaffeinated spearmint, peppermint or green tea with mint is a nice way to hydrate the kids. For those who prefer a lighter taste, consider white teas, which often come naturally flavored with other fruits like blueberry and pomegranate. White tea is higher in antioxidants than it’s more mature-leaf sibling green tea.
All hail the mighty coconut! I love coconut water, and it’s ideal for quick hydration when you’re on the go and especially after exercise. It’s packed with nutrients that provide electrolytes and a far healthier option than high-fructose corn syrup, artificial dye-laden sports energy drinks. These are just poison in your body and are particularly bad for children who are most often sensitive to food colorants. (Note: Red makes little girls angry and irritable and little boys wild in my experiences with kids over the years).
Pure juices MIXED with water. I’m not a huge proponent of bottled fruit juices and they are mostly sugar – even the natural stuff. Fructose is “ose” and anything with “ose” on the end of it means sugar. I do like a small ratio of a pure fruit juice such as pure blueberry, elderberry, cranberry, bilberry and dark cherry juices as they can be splashed into water to give it a bit of color and flavor without adding the sugar.
Add fruit slices. Kids especially like this. Throw in orange, lemon and lime slices into a bottle of chilled water. Toss in a few raspberries, blueberries and sliced strawberries to make it a rainbow of fun. Get some added enzymes to help with your digestion by adding a few spears of fresh pineapple and/or mango. Cut some clementines and tangerines in half and juice them by hand and add to a bottle of fresh spring water. Lemon as most people know, is very good for this as a cleanser. Mint leaves. Buy some fresh mint and crush the leaves gently and add to your jug. The mint is refreshing and makes drinking water less boring.
Add some C to Go! Vitamin C packs are everywhere. Grab a box from a good quality health store and add to your water. It’s much better than aspartame-laden products to “flavor” your water (all while providing toxins to your liver and brain!) Avoid those somewhat handy looking little squeeze bottles of fake flavorings and packages of crystalline “substances” that attempt to hydrate you.
Soup! Soup is mostly water by the time you add broth, water and the veggies. Make yourself a nice chilled soup (try tomato and cucumber varieties as these make for a refreshing summer soup). Check out the recipes page for a yummy Watermelon Gazpacho.
