Summer is here and we are definitely feeling the sunshine here in the UK and as a nutritionist I cannot stress how important hydration is for this key season. Most of you will know that water is vital for our body but might find it hard to always drink water on the go or lack the know-how which may result in dehydration.

Our body is around 60% water by weight and proper hydration is essential for overall health. Water plays a key role in regulating blood pressure, regulating body temperature, lubricating joints and eliminating waste products out from our body. As the temperature increases, so does the water loss through evaporation and sweating used to keep us cool and replenishing water is essential to prevent dehydration

Read on and I will share my top tips on how to stay hydration during these hot summer days and also a few recipes to keep you hydration.

  1. Aim to drink regularly by getting creative with your water intake as lets face it sometimes its quite difficult to always reach for your glass or bottle of water so why not try and mark a 1.5litre bottle with timings when it should be consumed. Knowing that you have a timeframe to drink certain amounts of water can motivate you to drink water. Jazzing with your water with fresh lemon, berries or mint can also help enhance the flavour if you find that water is tasteless.
  2. Drink iced herbal teas as these too include as your daily water intake so why not make a herbal tea and infuse this with ice cubes a few times a day which will increase your daily consumption
  3. Try drinking less stimulants which include coffee, green tea as whilst these provide many health benefits, too much can have a diuretic effect in the body and requires you to drink more water in order to prevent dehydration.

Now here’s a few nutrient rich recipes to enhance your water intake.

Watermelon Lime Mocktail 

  • 50g watermelon 
  • 1 cup water 
  • 30g cucumber 
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Ice 

Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth consistency.

Golden Tonic

  • 1 tsp of Organic Traditions Dual Extract Turmeric
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • 1 cup water
  • Ice
  • 1 tbsp of Organic Traditions Yacon syrup

Add 1 tsp of turmeric with ¼ cup of almond milk, water and add ice. Blend together until a smooth like consistency and add 1tbsp of yacon syrup for a slightly sweeter tonic.

We hope you enjoy these delicious recipes from the Kijani Living team and stay hydrated!