Summer is the time for outdoor activities or picnics with family, the pool, and barbecues with friends and family. But when we're having fun in the hot sun, it's very important to stay hydrated. Our bodies need water and minerals called electrolytes to work right. Electrolytes like sodium, calcium, and potassium help our body's function. We get electrolytes from food and drinks. When we don't drink enough, our bodies don't have the water and electrolytes they need. This is called dehydration. Dehydration makes us feel tired, dizzy, and sick. The good news is we can drink more than plain water to stay hydrated. Juice, sports drinks, milk, and even soup can help us stay hydrated in the summer heat. Smoothies with fruit and yoghurt are tasty hydrating treats!
Foods That Help With Hydrating Body
Banana - In this hot weather, munch on a banana! This tasty fruit is packed with water to keep you hydrated. Bananas have potassium to replace salts lost from sweating. Eat one for an energy boost. Try a banana raw, in a milkshake, as a fruit curd, or baked into custard. Yum! Bananas can help you feel good in the heat.
Cucumber - Crisp and refreshing cucumber is mostly water, so munch on this veggie often to stay hydrated and slim. As per National Library of Medicine, with barely any calories yet packing vitamins and minerals, cucumber makes the perfect addition to salads, soups, smoothies, or drizzled with olive oil.
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Spinach - It's mostly just water and has magnesium. Eat it boiled, cooked with lentils, or with low-fat cheese. You can drink broth too. It keeps you hydrated.
Watermelon - Munch on watermelon all summer long! This juicy fruit is mostly water and natural sugar. It also gives you healthy stuff like lycopene, magnesium, and potassium. Add it to drinks or salads for a cool, tasty treat. Watermelon makes the perfect snack on a hot summer day.
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Orange - Oranges are juicy and sweet! They have lots of water to quench your thirst. Vitamin C helps you stay healthy. Fibre keeps your tummy happy. As per National Library of Medicine, potassium gives you energy to play. Orange juice, salad, or custard are yummy treats.
Tomatoes - Tomatoes are so good for you! They're packed with water, lycopene, fibre, and vitamin A. You can add them to any dish you make. Roast, sauté, or make a tasty curry or salad. Tomatoes boost your immune system, protect your body, and keep your heart and teeth healthy. Try them today!
Drinks That Help With Hydration
Green Smoothies - Whizz up greens like spinach and kale with milk and protein powder for a healthy smoothie. It's a tasty drink that gives you lots of water and nutrients. Great for after exercise or when you need an afternoon boost.
Coconut Water - Coconut water helps you feel good! When you move around, you sweat. Sweating takes away electrolytes like sodium and potassium from your body. Coconut water puts these electrolytes back. It also helps your body hold onto water better. Drinking coconut water is an easy, tasty way to restore balance after exercise or a long day.
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Cucumber Juice - Cucumber juice is super refreshing! Cucumbers are mostly water, more than any other food. So drinking cucumber juice is a yummy way to stay hydrated. Slice up cucumbers and add to water for a tasty drink. You can also blend cucumbers into juice. Cucumber juice makes a great snack to help you stay hydrated.
Milk - After sweating it out, grab a glass of milk. Milk is great for rehydrating. It has carbs, protein and electrolytes to refuel your body. Milk helps your muscles recover too. Chocolate milk works well also. But don't go overboard on sugary drinks. Just a glass is plenty to recharge after a tough workout.
Tea or Iced Tea - Tea is a great way to stay hydrated! Whether you drink it hot or pour it over ice, tea is mostly water. So, every sip helps your body take in the water it needs. Tea makes drinking enough water easy and tasty!
Homemade Electrolyte-Rich Drink - Whip up your own thirst-quenching drink! You'll need: ginger, lemon, lime juice, agave, sea salt, and mineral water. Mix them all together. As per the National Library of Medicine, the sugar, salt, and water help replenish electrolytes. Add ice and enjoy this refreshing homemade lemon-ginger beverage!
Foods And Drinks To Avoid Dehydration
Trying to drink more water? Some foods and drinks actually take water out of your body. Watch out for these sneaky dehydrators!
Salty Snacks - Snacks like chips and fast food make you thirsty. They have a lot of sodium. Sodium pulls water out of your cells.
Sugary Drinks - Sweet drinks are also dehydrating. The sugar makes your body crave more liquid. Skip the soda, sports drinks, and sweet coffee drinks.
Protein - Eating lots of protein can be bad. Protein breaks down into nitrogen in your body. Your body needs more water to get rid of the nitrogen. This can make you dehydrated. It also makes your kidneys work harder.
Pickles - Pickles can make you thirsty! They have a lot of salt. Salt makes your body lose water. You can still eat pickles if you like them. Just choose the kind with less salt. That way, you can stay hydrated and enjoy your favourite snack!
Soy Sauce - Soy sauce tastes yummy but it won't hydrate you. It has lots of sodium and sodium ions saunter through your bloodstream, they cleverly snatch hydration molecules meant for your cells, leaving them parched and puckered.
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If you're dehydrated or want to hydrate more, you might want to go easy on the soy sauce.
Ultra-Processed Foods - Grab a frozen dinner, fast food, or candy. Yum! But these ultra-processed foods can dehydrate you. They have lots of salt and sugar. That's what makes them taste so good! But it also causes dehydration. So, if you want to stay hydrated, you might want to go easy on junk food.
