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Wednesday 26 June 2019

It's Hot : Stay Hydrated : These Foods May Help You


Wherever you live some days can just be too hot, and on these sort of days it is important to stay hydrated. Parts of the UK and Europe this week have been extremely warm ... and with more hot weather promised, it is important to keep hydrated. Sometimes the easiest way is to use water from your kitchen tap, but bottled water can also be a great help. Of course on a hot summer’s day, why not boost your hydration with these juicy foods, all of which are around 80-90% water by weight. 

1. Cucumber:
At 95% water content, this crunchy summer vegetable has the highest water content of any solid food! It’s great in salads, or sliced up with some dip, why not just eat it by itself ... it's something our grandchildren love to do. Cucumber also contains a little fiber and vitamin C!




2. Green Peppers:
These hydrating vegetables contain 93.9% water, just slightly more than the red and yellow versions. They are also rich in antioxidants, and make a great snack with dip, sliced up in salads or can be eaten alone - it's up to you.


3. Tomato:
Tomatoes make a delicious, hydrating snack, especially cherry tomatoes! Eat a handful as a snack or add them to your meal! They’ll provide a tasty pop of hydration plus lycopene and other vitamins and minerals.


4. Watermelon:
Not only is watermelon a great source of water at 92%, it’s also a good source of vitamin C and other antioxidants. Serve icy cold for a satisfying Summertime snack!


5. Strawberries:
91% water, strawberries are a great contributor to your water intake for the day! Delivering the most vitamin C of all berries, folate, fibre and antioxidants, they’re a great little snack to enjoy! Eat them as is, or with some yogurt, or double cream ... even in a salad, a great summer fruit. 


6. Papaya:
This gorgeous fruit tastes incredible with fresh lime juice! Plus it delivers a source of fibre and hydration with 88% water! It’s also rich in vitamin C and contains the digestive enzyme known as papain along with fibre which helps improve your digestive health.


7. Grapefruit:
A juicy, tangy citrus with a powerful hydrating punch! Not only does it contain 90.5% water, some say it can help shrink your waistline, help lower your cholesterol, help stabilise your blood sugar and potentially help reduce your cravings! Eat it straight, or pop some wedges into a salad. 


8. Butternut Squash:
The humble, sweet and nutty squash is actually 88% water. Yet it provides over 400% of your daily requirements for vitamin A, as well as being a source of vitamin C, potassium and manganese! Roast some and serve in a salad, stuff small ones with lean grass-fed mince and vegetables, or turn it into a tasty dip with some bell peppers, cucumber and carrots to serve!


9. Cantaloupe:
One six ounce serving (about ¼ of a melon) provides 100% of your recommended intake for vitamins A and C! Comprised of 90.2% water, it’s a nourishing snack that can contribute significantly to your water intake! Why not serve sliced in salads, or as part of a mixed melon salad with fresh mint!


10. Radishes:
It’s not the first thing you may think of when talking about hydration, but these pretty vegetables are 95.3% water! Not only are they hydrating, but they are full of antioxidants including catechin (found in green tea!), adding a nutritious burst of spiciness and colour to your plate!


Some words taken from an article by Laurentine Ten Bosch

Not all foods mentioned may be suitable for all, so please bear in mind any food allergies, health conditions and with grapefruit, for example, care should be taken if on certain drugs.

On a personal note I am including cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, radishes and strawberries in my menu plan, melon is nice too ... how about you?

All the best Jan

38 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello, great information and post.
It is supposed to be hot here for the next week so.
I do love tomatoes and cantelope. Enjoy your day!

mxtodis123 said...

A list of my favorite foods....all except grapefruit.

Margaret D said...

Read somewhere where it's going to be hot over your way.
Keep cool..
Watermelon is good.

Miss Val's Creations said...

Delicious foods for staying hydrated! I love cucumbers in the summer.

Tom said...

...some days it's hard to keep up!

Catarina said...

great suggestions... it is always good to be reminded of the foods with high content of water

Sami said...

Great information Jan. My summer favourites are watermelon and cantaloupe :)

Natalia said...

Watermelons are so good, in Poland it is so hot, 35 C, hope tomorrow it is gonna be colder☺

DUTA said...

Watermelon is the king of summer and canteloupe the queen. All fruit and veggies have a high content of water, and therefore help hydrate the body. I love them all; try to eat most of them either in raw form or in slightly cooked form (grapefruit and kiwi require a slightly (10 min)cooked form as they are not too friendly to my digestion, and I won't give them up.

Jo said...

Yes please to all of those, especially the watermelon, nothing more refreshing on a hot day. I have to say though that I've had my heating on today, it's so cold here. We're forecast rising temperatures by the weekend though so I hope they're right.

Sally said...

I love most of the fruits you mentioned, and now I'll be off to the store.
Thank you for sharing!
xoxo

Pom Pom said...

Hi sweet Jan! Oh, I love all those things! Yay! It's hard to drink enough water and here in the Mile High City, we have to.

Rain said...

Nice post!!! It's so hot and humid today, hydration is so important!

Valerie-Jael said...

Lovely foods. I don't go anywhere just now without a bottle of water. It's still extremely hot here.

Ela said...

As always, you provided a lot of interesting information!
Greetings

Mary Kirkland said...

It's definitely hot out now. I like all of these except for the butternut squash.

Sue said...

We've had nothing but rain for the past two weeks lol, but I must admit I do carry a bottle of water around with me. If I have a bottle to hand I just drink it without even noticing. Have a great week, Sue x

Elephant's Child said...

Tap water for me. And rather a lot of those delicious fruit and vegies.

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

We were awakened by a news alert at 4 AM this morning ... a heat warning. Supposed to be 100 here today ... feels like 109. Thankfully I don't think it's going to make it.

So weekly I do a Wednesday breakfast ride with other old retired farts. Did I cancel. No. Came home a little ill from the heat though.

I need to watch what I eat, clearly.

William Kendall said...

I just can't go for watermelon.

I always stash a reusable water bottle in my pack. There are always places around to refill it.

Snowbird said...

You have my mouth watering, these will come in handy during the heatwave now forecast.xxx

Carla from The River said...

Great tips! I LOVE cucumbers.
We are to hit 90 degrees this weekend.

aussie aNNie said...

Yes a must in the heat but cool here down under at the moment...

Sandra said...

Who'd a thought radishes would be on the list?
As always, a great post.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

All foods I love and eat. The heat has already hit my area and the humidity is almost unbearable. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have AC.

Iris Flavia said...

Yupp, have a look into our fridge :-)
I love the heat!

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Surprisingly ... I like all of the options you offer. Unsure about papaya though ... never tried it.

God bless.

mamasmercantile said...

Sadly the hot weather didn't happen here, I am still wearing a cardigan. I was surprised to see radish on the list.

baili said...

my son told it was hottest week in Munich

thank you for incredible post
your words are always great reminder what we can miss in busy routine

here during extreme hot days all fruits have disappeared except apricot and mango ,after agust there is hope to see all other fruits in market

Teresa said...

Me gustan todos. Besitos.

Angie said...

Jan - what a fabulous set of delectables - I would eat them even if it wasn't hot!

Linda said...

And get enough salt!

Conniecrafter said...

I did hear on the news the other day that you all are being hit with some hot temperatures too, it seems anymore the weather is all over the place, I can't believe they had snow the other day in Colorado and Montana, I bet they were not planning that in June.
It is terrible feeling to get dehydrated, I really keep an eye on making sure I am drinking enough, didn't know peppers were one of the foods good to eat for that

sandy said...

had no idea about the peppers - and some of the other ones. My sis starts her day with juicing that has a lot of cucumber in it.

Bob Bushell said...

Salad days, fruit and veg, you can't beat them.

Phil Slade said...

Who needs encouragement to eat strawberries? Not me. What a great time of year this is for fresh veg and fruit.

carol l mckenna said...

Great post and delish looking fruits ~ ^_^

Happy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Magic Love Crow said...

Great list Jan! I love all these foods! Thank you!