ARE YOU DRINKING ENOUGH WATER?
The last thing that you want to do in a heat wave is cook – I certainly don’t. All I am interested in is simple cold crunchy foods that are perfect for the hot weather like we are having at the moment.
It is important to stay optimally hydrated, the amount of fluid you need will depend on what you are doing are but as a rough estimate you should probably think about a minimum of 1.5-2 litres of fluid when it’s hot – and much more if you are very active or as the heat goes up.
I know from the clients that I see in clinic that many people are not in the habit of drinking much water or claim not to really like just plain water.
Try zapping things up a bit by putting a jug of water in your fridge with fresh mint, cucumbers, lemon, lime or orange slices. If you leave the flavours to steep you will have a refreshing drink…a sort of Pimms but without the Pimms….am I selling it?
It is easy to forget that there are many foods that have a high water content, so you can also eat to hydrate and cool down too:
Just look at the water content of these hydrating foods:
There is a simple way to check if you are drinking enough…..look at the colour of your pee. I know that sounds disgusting but it’s true. If it is anything more than a very pale straw coloured yellow you are dehydrated and need to drink more….simples! Check out this ‘Colour of Pee’ infographic….yes really! http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/10/what-the-color-of-your-urine-says-about-you-infographic/
So what am I eating this evening? Ice cold gazpacho, followed by cold prawns and a cucumber salad, finished off with some watermelon. Cooling, crunchy and hydrating too!