Hot! Humid! Summer days making you feel like a wilting flower? Beat the heat; stay hydrated by drinking lots and lots of cooling water and liquids.
How much liquid is enough? That depends on your age and what you're doing. Everyone's different. On average, it's recommended that we have 10 ½ cups of liquid a day. WOW sounds like a LOT? Summer fruits and veggies help make it easy, delicious and refreshing to stay hydrated.
Start with what you eat: Snack on summer fruits and veggies, like watermelon, peaches, nectarines, plums, tomatoes and cucumbers. These are all full of delicious water, plus packed with fiber, minerals and vitamins to nourish and cool your body on hot summer days.
Some liquids actually help you stay cooler than others. Soda and packaged juices are loaded with sugar that your body does not need. Apple juice has as much sugar as a regular coke! Your body has to generate heat to use that sugar. The best thing to drink to stay cool is lots of plain water or your favorite tea.
Before you say "BORING!" check out these tips to make water exciting and refreshing...and a lot less expensive!
- Add slices of lemon, lime, oranges, chunks of watermelon or any fruit with a bit of mint for a healthier version of "Vitamin Water".
- Make your own iced tea with some zing by adding mint, ginger, basil or even fruit.
- Try different teas like African Red Tea (Rooibus), Japanese Green Tea or herbal tea like chamomile over ice.
- Add a splash of lemon or lime or even a bit of juice to sparkling water as a replacement for soda.
- Chopped mint always adds a refreshing boost to water.
Try out these tips as well as the tasty tea recipes below in our Recipes section. Have fun with the fruits and veggies available at our markets (CLICK HERE FOR A MARKET IN YOUR NEIGHBOR HOOD) and beat the heat deliciously. Stay cool!
Teas with Taste and More!
Recipe
Lemon-Blueberry Tea
Ingredients
1 quart of blueberries
½ cup lemon juice
3 family-size tea bags
Preparation
Bring blueberries and lemon juice to a boil and simmer for 5 mins.
Pour through a sieve pressing out the juice.
Rinse the pan.
Add 4 cups of water and 3 family-size tea bags.
Bring to a boil for 5 mins.
Remove the tea bags.
Mix fruit juice and tea together.
Chill for an hour.
Add a little sugar if the tea is too tart.
Juice with Jazz: Melon Carrot OJ
Ingredients
½ melon
1 carrot
4 oranges
Preparation
Peel the orange and remove the rind from the melon.
Blend together, pour over ice and drink right away.
Extra Refreshment: Lime-Ginger Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped ginger
1½ Tbsp lime zest
1½ cup sugar
2 cups water
Preparation
Process all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Cook over medium hear for 10 mins.
Discard solids and serve.
Refreshing Ideas
Tips
Tips for Teas
- For stronger tea flavor, add fruit to the hot water and tea bags. Remove the fruit after one day in fridge. For more delicate flavor add fruit just before you drink.
- Make tea and try adding fruit combos:
- Peach-Mint: Add 4 ripe peaches cut in ½ inch pieces and a small bunch of mint.
- Strawberry-Blueberry: Add 1½ cups of mashed berries to 6 cups of tea and add sugar to taste.
More Juice with Jazz
For better refreshment, add water and pour over ice.
- Apple Watermelon: Peel the apples and remove watermelon rind. Cut into chunks and put in a blender. Add water.
- Kiwi-Pear: 2 kiwis, 3 pears and 1 apple. Peel and core the fruit and put in a blender. Add water.
- Cucumber Cooler: In a blender, mix 1½ cups of peeled cucumber and 1½ cups of water. Put in pitcher and add 1 cup lime juice. Flavor with lime-ginger syrup.
Sport Drink Replacement: Recharge your body with a glass of Pedialyte instead of sports drinks. It cost half as much and has twice the electrolytes.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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