Be cool and hydrate this summer
Staying hydrated is important all year long for good health. Fluids help to keep nutrients and waste moving through the body, help control your body temperature and blood pressure and, of course, reduce the chance of dehydration and, during warmer weather, heat stroke.
This time of year it is important to be more aware of your fluid intake, as temperatures are increasing and many people also have increased activity levels, requiring more fluid to keep the body hydrated. Often people don’t realize they need more fluid until they start to show signs of dehydration such as being thirsty, having dry lips or a dry mouth, a headache or more extreme symptoms such as dizziness or low blood pressure.
Two ways to avoid dehydration are to increase healthier drink choices that quench your thirst (like water), and to identify drink choices in your daily routine that contain sugar or caffeine with a view to creating more healthy options for yourself. It is best to limit caffeinated drinks to three cups per day as they do not help to keep you hydrated like drinks without caffeine do.
Do you have a favourite summer beverage that may not be the healthiest? Looking to change it up at least some of the time? Try one of these tasty combinations:
● Fruit and herb infused water – add sliced strawberries, lemon slices and fresh basil leaves or watermelon cubes and fresh mint leaves to a glass or jug of water. Almost any combination of fruit with some fresh herbs is bound to taste great!
● Need carbonation? There are now many healthier options for carbonated beverages right in the grocery store. Try the PC Blue Menu Carbonated Unsweetened Sparkling Waters with Natural Flavours such as watermelon, lemon, and mandarin orange or the pomegranate blueberry sparkling water featured in the recipe below. These are ideal for gatherings or even road trips due to their convenient container sizes of either 1L bottles or individual cans. Enjoy them on their own or use them to dilute a drink higher in sugar by mixing half and half.
● Have you tried any of the new drinks from the summer PC Insider’s Collection? Try the Berry Flavour Herbal Hibiscus Tea Iced Tea or the PC Organics Watermelon Lemonade mixed with PC Blue Menu plain sparkling water.
● If you are a coffee lover look for the new PC Cold Brew Coffee (find it in the refrigerated juice section in a 1L carton). Try it on ice, either black or with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a packet of stevia natural sweetener.
● Always remember that any juice can be mixed with regular or sparkling water
●Looking for a new tasty non-alcoholic party drink? Try a delicious, cold, sweet homemade Watermelon Agua Fresca – made simply with blended fruit, water and lime juice, and sweetened to taste.