Hello lovelies! Summer is the time for sunny days, swimming pools, dips in the river, berry picking, gardening and sweating.
Here in the PNW we had some extremely hot days this past week and my family and I escaped to the Sandy river to cool off. On our last day there, my daughter was cranky, tired, and uninterested in anything we suggested. She wasn't even excited about ice cream! I realized that she was over heated and slowly began giving her sips of water. I put some ice in my water bottle and carried it around with me, asking her to take sips every few minutes. She bounced back to her sassy self within an hour.
Here in the PNW we had some extremely hot days this past week and my family and I escaped to the Sandy river to cool off. On our last day there, my daughter was cranky, tired, and uninterested in anything we suggested. She wasn't even excited about ice cream! I realized that she was over heated and slowly began giving her sips of water. I put some ice in my water bottle and carried it around with me, asking her to take sips every few minutes. She bounced back to her sassy self within an hour.
We all need reminders to stay hydrated. Check out my favorite ways to be chill and refill.
Fun ways to stay hydrated!
*Add Citrus, fresh berries, veggie slices or herbs to water or sparkling water
*Place a berry or other fruit into your ice cube trays and freeze with water.
*Freeze herbal tea into ice cube trays and add to water. Two of my favorites: Numi organic mint tea and TJ’s Red Refresh (pictured) This time of year is the perfect time to make sun tea!
*Freeze 100% fruit juice into ice cube trays
*Water Bottles: allow your kids pick out their favorite and keep it with them at all times
*Straws: Kids LOVE straws! You can purchase fun, reusable ones from Amazon or your local grocery store.
*Popsicles: homemade popsicles are easy and delicious. I like to make a double batch of smoothies and freeze half or mix half water/ half fruit juice and add a few berries. Then freeze it in these freezer pop molds and include them in my daughter's lunch box.
*Herbal tea is another way to get water into your body. Caffinated tea will not hydrate you. Some of our favorite herbal teas are Numi Rooibus Chai, Cup of Calm and Mint Tea
*Dilute sugary drinks with water.
*Eat water rich foods: Some top picks include cucumber (96% water), zucchini (95% water), watermelon (92% water), and grapefruit (91% water).
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| thanks to hdxmix.com for the infographic |
When kids are thirsty, many parents reach for milk or juice but these don’t compare to the many benefits of water.
An 8 oz. serving of plain milk has 12g of sugar. That is equal to about 3 teaspoons. This is naturally occurring sugar. Can you imagine how much added sugar the chocolate milk has in it?!
A 5.5-oz serving of 100% apple juice has 18g, equalling 4.5 teaspoons
A 6oz. serving of Organic CapriSun has 13g, equalling 3.25 teaspoons.
An 8 oz. serving of plain milk has 12g of sugar. That is equal to about 3 teaspoons. This is naturally occurring sugar. Can you imagine how much added sugar the chocolate milk has in it?!
A 5.5-oz serving of 100% apple juice has 18g, equalling 4.5 teaspoons
A 6oz. serving of Organic CapriSun has 13g, equalling 3.25 teaspoons.
The American Heart Association recommends that women consume less than 6 teaspoons of added sugar or sweeteners a day and that men consume less than 9 teaspoons of added sugar or sweeteners a day.
Aim for less than 5 teaspoons a day for children. Especially considering that in a study of over 2,000 teenagers, the average daily consumption of added sugars was 28.3 teaspoons a day! That's 113.2 grams!
As you can see, sugary drinks, believe it or not are not going to quench your thirst. Water is an essential nutrient and growing kids need lots of water!
The general rule is to drink half your body weight in water. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces a day. Also, after your first urine, it should be clear for the remainder of the day. With exercise, pregnancy and breastfeeding, more water intake is needed. The next time you or your child is thirsty, grab your water bottle. Your body will thank you!
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