Things to Add to Water to Help you Stay Hydrated in Blazing Louisiana Heat

Approximately 76 percent of our bodies are made of water. Water is essential to our lives. You can only go about three days without water. During these blazing hot summer months we know we have to stay hydrated, but what do you do when you are completely bored with water?

Water is delicious, but if all you drink all day long is water it can become very tedious and boring. I wanted to find some beverages that can help us hydrate, but aren't so plain.

Cucumber Water

One of the easiest ideas is adding something to the water to give it some flavor, but what works to hydrate and has some flavor? If you've ever been to a spa, you've probably noticed one of the beverage options they offer is cucumber water. According to MedicalNewsToday, they say it's not a bad choice,

Cucumber water is a very hydrating drink. It has many potential health benefits, including weight loss, lowering blood pressure, helping bone health, and improving skin health.

Fruit/Fruit Juice

A friend of mine suggests adding a few grapes or a very small amount of grape juice to your water to give it a pop of flavor. Everydayhealth.com suggests adding a small amount of crushed fruit or juice to give a little life to your water. They even suggest tart fruit like cranberry or pomegranate.

If you decide on adding cranberries to your water, WebMD points out the many health benefits you'll get. Cranberries are very high in antioxidants. Cranberries also have some of the highest levels of phenols in fruit. Phenols are another great antioxidant.

Having a little bit of watermelon in your water is a great way to stay hydrated. By the way, WebMD says that since watermelon is basically 90 percent water, just by eating some watermelon you are helping to hydrate your body.

Herbs

The Baton Rouge Clinic has some great ideas of things to add to your water to jazz it up. Have you ever thought about using things in your spice cabinet to give a zing to your water? I had not, but they offer some outstanding suggestions. They recommend using:

• Rosemary
• Cilantro
• Mint Leave
• Basil
• Ginger

Have you ever thought of putting seltzer, or club soda in your water? It's a simple idea to use on its own, or you can add this to any of the other ideas above.

Happy hydrating!

And here are some tips for our furbabies: