PUBLISHED 06/09/2008
How much more should you drink in the summer? Your hydration needs can jump to as much as 15 to 20 cups of fluid a day. But you don't have to guzzle just water. Fruits and vegetables, which are about 80 percent water, can help you stay hydrated. Plus, they provide key antioxidants vital for muscle recovery and a healthy immune system. In cooler months you should average 4 1/2 cups or more of fruits and veggies a day; during the summer try tacking on two more cups. Sound impossible? It isn't. This day's worth of fruits and vegetables (about 6 1/2 cups) contains nearly four cups of fluid.
Morning: 1 cup of berries and a banana with yogurt Lunch: 1 1/2 cups of carrots, celery, and cucumber slices, and 1 peach Afternoon: Smoothie with 1 1/2 cups of mango, pineapple, and melon Dinner: 2 cups of spring salad mix topped with tomatoes and snap peas, 1 1/2 cups of fruit salad (see Liz's Long-Lasting Fruit Salad recipe).
Liz's Long-Lasting Fruit Salad
1 cup (half pint) blackberries, rinsed and dried
1 cup pitted cherries
1 cup grapes, rinsed and dried
1 cup cantaloupe chunks or balls
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 cup apricot halves
1/4 cup mint leaves
This fruit salad will stay fresh in your fridge for several days, thanks to the pineapple and mint. Pineapple is high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and mint contains antibacterial compounds, both of which will help prevent the salad from browning and turning to mush. Combine fruit and mint in a container with a snug lid and refrigerate. Serve as needed, taking juice from the bottom for extra fluid and to prevent the fruit from getting mushy. Makes six one-cup servings 70 calories Per serving
