Stay Cool With A Splash of Flavor
Hot! Humid! Summer days make you feel like a drooping flower. A cool shower helps, but the best way to stay cool is to make sure your body is getting enough liquids. When it’s hot and humid, our bodies need extra fluids, so we don’t feel like drooping flowers.
How much liquid is enough? That depends on your age and what you're doing. Everyone's different. On average, we have 10 ½ cups of liquid a day. WOW sounds like a lot? It’s not just what you drink, but also what you eat. Juicy summer fruits and veggies.
Eating juicy summer fruits & veggies is an easy, delicious, and refreshing way to help your body get the liquid it needs. Our Harvest Home Farmer’s Markets are full of watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. All full of delicious “water” and nutrition the body needs on hot summer days.
Beverages? You need the right ones to stay cool. Some help you stay cooler than others. Soda and packaged juices are loaded with sugar 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. More heat is the opposite of cool! The best thing to drink to stay cool is lots of water or tea.
Before you say "Boring," look at our simple ideas (See below) for transforming plain water or tea into an intriguing, refreshing, and much less expensive beverage! Adding slices of fruit or herbs turns plain water or tea into a delicious dish. Try teas like Japanese Green Tea or African Red Tea (Rooibos) in a glass of ice. Amazingly refreshing!
Summer Berry Fusion
RECIPES: Take the “boring” out of water
QUICK & EASY: Flavor in a Hurry
To a glass of cold water, add slices of lemon, lime, oranges, chunks of watermelon, or any fruit with a bit of mint for a healthier version of “Vitamin Water”.
Add a splash of lemon or lime or even a bit of juice to sparkling water as a replacement for soda.
“FLAVORED INFUSED WATER”: To Make
Place the fruit and/or herbs of your choice into a clean glass jar with a lid or a glass pitcher.
Break up the fruit and herbs a bit with the back of a spoon to help release natural flavors.
Cover with 4 cups of tap and place in frig for at least 3 hours, or 12 hours for really flavorful, tangy water.
After 24 hours, remove the fruit and herbs to prevent the water from becoming bitter. Keeps for about 3 days
RECIPES FOR INFUSED WATER FLAVOR
Blueberry Orange Infused Water
¼ cup blueberries
1 orange sliced
4 cups water
Cucumber Mint Infused Water
One unpeeled cucumber cut into thin pieces
10-15 crushed mint leaves
4 cups of water
Basil Watermelon:
2 cups watermelon peeled: Either chop finely or use a blender
Add 10-15 basil or mint leaves
4 cups of water
Extra Refreshment: Lime-Ginger Syrup: Add a tablespoon or two to a glass of water, club soda, tea, or juice for an extra refreshing taste. To Make
Process in a blender or food processor: 1 cup peeled & coarsely chopped fresh ginger, 1 ½ tablespoons of lime zest, 1 ½ cup sugar & 2 cups water.
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Discard solids.
TIPS AND TRICKS: QUICK & EASY
Japanese Green Tea of African Red Tea (Rooibos) tea
Use twice as much tea as you usually would.
Pour in hot water & let sit for 10 minutes.
Pour over ice cubes
TEAS WITH FRUIT
Lemon-Blueberry Tea
Ingredients
1 quart of blueberries
½ cup of lemon juice
3 family-size tea bag
To Make
Bring blueberries & lemon juice to a boil & simmer for 5 minutes. 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 minutes. Remove tea bags.
Mix fruit juice & tea together. Chill for an hour. Add a little honey if it's too tart.
MORE FRUIT COMBOS FOR TEA
Peach-Mint: Add 4 ripe peaches cut into ½ inch pieces & a small bunch of mint.
Strawberry-blueberry: Add 1½ cups of mashed berries to 6 cups of tea. Add honey to taste
TIPS: For stronger tea flavor, add fruit with the hot water and tea bags. Remove the fruit after one day in the fridge. For more delicate flavor add fruit just before you drink
Sport Drink Replacement: Recharge your body with a glass of Pedialyte instead of sports drinks. It costs half as much and has twice the electrolytes.
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