Quenching summer thirst – part 1
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EmailFresh fruits and vegetables contain water and can help hydrate your body.
Is your body craving water to keep you hydrated on hot, dry afternoons? Water makes up about 60 percent of our body’s weight for our body. To function properly humans need to consume about two quarts of water (or liquid) per day. Depending on your level of physical activity, weather conditions and other factors, you may need to drink more than the recommended amount each day. As the June temperatures begin to climb I tend to fill my trusty cup more frequently during the day. But, sometimes that drink of water doesn’t seem to be enough to quench my thirst.
Have you ever stopped to consider how much water is in the fruits and vegetables we consume? When we eat these fresh, raw products, water can be absorbed by our bodies. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service has produced a table called “water contents of fruits and vegetables” that illustrates the quantity of water in the food item, in proportion to its weight. For example: a peach weighing 87 grams would be 88 percent water, or a cucumber weighing 52 grams would be 92 percent water.
Consider your favorite produce on those hot days, chilled and waiting for you to consume. What a wonderful way to quench thirst; consume vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and good food!
Michigan State University Extension recommends that before consuming any raw produce you thoroughly wash your hands before handling, and to then wash the produce under cool, running water. Anything with a rough surface, skin or rind should be scrubbed with a vegetable brush under running water before peeling or cutting. Berries should be rinsed in a colander, and remember to never soak produce.
Take a few minutes and prep some fruit and veggies and store them covered in your refrigerator for a refreshing and rehydrating snack that you and your family can enjoy as the temperature rises outdoors.
For more about this topic read Quenching summer thirst – part 2
