As summer temperatures rise, the need to stay hydrated increases as well. This article will list common symptoms of dehydration, fruits and veggies with the highest water content, and top homemade hydrating drink recipes.

Dehydration 101

In its simplest terms, dehydration occurs when the body does not have enough water or fluids to function at its best. Common signs of dehydration include the following:

• Dark yellow urine or little urine output
• Fainting/lightheaded
• Muscle cramps
• Fatigue
• Increased thirst
• Fever
• Blurred vision or dry eyes
• Headaches

When a person is dehydrated, consuming water is the quickest way to replenish low fluid levels. However, not all liquids are created equal. The following liquids can be dehydrating:

• Alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic, which can cause the body to lose fluids.

• Caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, which could cause dehydration. Energy drinks, tea, soda, and coffee often contain caffeine. Note: For sports performance, many athletes opt to consume small amounts of caffeine to boost energy.

• Sweet and sugary drinks. High sugar levels may increase the need to urinate. To lower elevated sugar levels in the blood, water is pulled from the cells, which can increase the risk of dehydration.  Soda, artificially sweetened drinks, and fruit juices containing sugar all increase dehydration risks.

In addition to a liquids, some foods can be dehydrating as well:

• Salty snacks. To eliminate extra salt from the body, the kidneys are forced to excrete more water. Potato chips, popcorn and pretzels are popular salty snacks.

• Processed foods. Many processed foods are high in sodium and sugar, two primary contributors to increased dehydration risks.

• Fried foods. Fried foods often contain high amounts of sodium. Many of the toppings (ketchup, barbeque sauce, etc.) and sodas consumed with them are high in sugar, making them the perfect recipe for dehydration.

• Cured meats. Salt is used to preserve and enhance the flavor of cured meats. The salt is also used to remove any moisture from the meat via osmosis. Salami, pepperoni, bacon, pancetta, and prosciutto are examples of cured meats.

• Diuretic veggies. Asparagus, beets, and artichokes all have diuretic properties that can cause a person to urinate, which could potentially lead to dehydration.

In addition to knowing what to consume for hydration, it’s important to know the foods and drinks that could cause dehydration as well.

Top Summer Drink Ingredients

When it comes to refreshing drinks that hydrate, there are many healthy and natural ingredients to choose from. Here are the top hydrating fruits and veggies and their water content:

Fruits	Water Percentage	Veggies	Water Percentage
Strawberries	90.9%	Lettuce	95.6%
Grapefruit	91.5%	Celery	95.4%
Watermelon	91.4%	Cucumber	97.9%
Pineapple	95.0%	Tomatoes	95.2%
Blueberries	95.0%	Summer Squash	96.0%
Lemon/Lime	90.0%	Spinach	96.0%
Peaches	89.0%	Apricot	86.0%
Plums	85.0%	Zucchini	95.0%
Apples	84.0%	Carrots	84.0%
Pears	87.0%	Cabbage	93.0%
Oranges	88.0%	Cauliflower	92.0%
Grapes	82.0%	Cabbage	92.0%

>In addition to their high-water content, each of these ingredients are rich in nutrients, making them excellent additions to drinks and smoothies. They can also be eaten alone to keep the body hydrated.

The following are popular natural drink recipes to try:

Smoothies

Smoothies are drinks made from pureed raw fruits and/or vegetables. Smoothies are made primarily with one or more of the following liquid bases:

• Water
• Milk
• Ice
• Coconut water
• Fruit juice
• Kefir
• Greek yogurt
• Yogurt

Note: Ice, yogurt, and kefir provide smoothies with thickness and consistency. All ingredients are pureed in a blender for 1-3 minutes or to desired consistency.

Recipes:

Blueberry-Pear Smoothie:

Ingredients:

•         1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
•         1 chopped pear
•         1 ½ cups plain yogurt
•         Ice
•         Honey to taste

Apple-Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients:

•         1 cup of frozen strawberries
•         1 apple (peel and core removed)
•         1 ½ cup yogurt (plain, banana or vanilla)
•         ½ cup milk
•         2 teaspoons honey

Pineapple-Spinach Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 avocado (pitted and halved)
• ½ cup of water
• ½ cup of ice cubes
• Honey to taste (optional)

Orange-Carrot Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 3 large carrots (peeled)
• 1 orange (sliced & peeled)
• 1 mango (sliced and [peeled)
• ¼ cup orange juice<
• 1 ½ cups ice<

Strawberry-Watermelon Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups fresh watermelon (seeds removed)
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• ½ banana (peeled)
• 1 medium lime
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 ½ cups of ice

Apple-Cucumber Smoothie

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup water or coconut water
• 2 green apples (cored)
• ¼ cucumber (chopped)
• ½ bunch parsley leaves (chopped)
• 1 slice ginger
• 1 medium lemon (peeled)
• 1 cup of ice cubes

Experiment by mixing the various fruits and veggies above to create your own refreshing and hydrating smoothie recipes.

Sports Drink Recipes

When a person exercises, they are often losing more than water when they sweat. The following nutrients can be lost via sweat:

Magnesium. Magnesium is important for the storage and use of energy when exercising. Studies on magnesium indicate a magnesium deficiency can have a negative impact on exercise performance and increase oxidative stress. [1]

Sodium. Helps maintain water and electrolyte balance.

Calcium. Calcium is important for muscle contraction and energy production. Studies indicate exercise could lead to a reduction in intra-vascular calcium mass in the form of sweat. [2]

Potassium. Along with sodium, potassium plays a role in maintaining electrolyte balance.

The following energy drink recipes are designed to hydrate the body as well as help replace the nutrients lost while exercising. They can also be consumed as a post-recovery beverage:

Sports Drink Recipe 

Lemon-Lime Sports Replenisher

Ingredients:

• 4 cups filtered water (or mint, green, chamomile, or licorice tea)
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or raw honey

Grape Sports Drink Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups coconut water (or green,mint, chamomile, or licorice tea)
• ¼ cup of organic grape juice
• ¼ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
• ½ tablespoon magnesium or calcium powder
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Fun Summer Drinks

In addition to smoothies and sports drinks, the following beverages can hydrate and refresh on a hot summer day. Note: The following recipes are for 1 pitcher.

Mint Lemonade

Ingredients:

• Lemon juice
• Lemon slices
• Mint leaves
• Honey
• Ice cubes and water

Combine to taste.

Watermelon Slushie

Ingredients:

• Watermelon chunks (w/o seeds)
• Lime juice>
• Ice cubes

Place ice and watermelon in blender and mix until desired consistency. Add lemon juice to suit tastes.

Pink Lemonade

Ingredients:

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Cranberry juice
• Ice cubes
• Honey

Combine water and lemon juice to taste preference. Add cranberry juice to until it turns pink. Add honey for sweetness (optional). Add ice cubes to chill and serve.

Fruit Infused Water Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lime (sliced)
• 1 orange (sliced)
• 1 lemon (sliced)
• 1 cucumber (chunks)
• 1 grapefruit (chunks)
• 5 strawberries (sliced in half)
• 1 handful of mint leaves
• Water
• Ice (optional)
• Honey (optional)

Combine ingredients in a pitcher. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Add ice and serve.

Blueberry, Rosemary, and Lemon Infused Water

Ingredients:

• ½ pint blueberries
• 1 lemon (thinly sliced)
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• Ice cubes (optional)

Combine in a pitcher and add water. Let sit for 2-4 hours before serving.

Hydrating Products

In addition to the fruits and veggies listed above, the following products can be added to water to hydrate and refresh as well:

Electrolyte Concentrate E-lyte - 16 fl oz. bottle

Electrolyte Concentrate E-lyte can be added to water to replenish the body’s electrolyte levels that may be low due to exercise, stress, illness pregnancy or medications. Benefits include the following:

• Improve stamina 
• Reduces fatigue
• Increases energy
• Alleviates muscle cramps
• Helps regulate body temperature

This product contains no artificial sweeteners or sugars.

#1 - Potassium - (2oz)

Potassium has a variety of uses in the body, including healthy nerve function, balancing pH levels and healthy cell function. Exercise can deplete a person’s potassium levels. #1 - Potassium comes in liquid form, which allows it to be more readily absorbed by the body.

Conclusion

As the temperatures rise, everyone wants to enjoy a cool, refreshing drink. Unfortunately, many popular beverages on the market may taste good, but could increase the risk of dehydration thanks to the sugar, artificial flavors and other harmful ingredients they contain.  Instead of consuming these unhealthy drinks, opt for smoothies, water infused drinks with fruits and veggies and natural sports drinks instead.  Create your own homemade refreshing drinks today. Your body will thank you.

[1] F H Nielsen 1, H C Lukaski.  Update on the Relationship Between Magnesium and Exercise. Magnes Res. 2006 Sep;19(3):180-9. [PMID: 17172008]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17172008/

[2] Daniel W Barry,1 Kent C Hansen,2 Rachael E Van Pelt, (et al). Acute Calcium Ingestion Attenuates Exercise-induced Disruption of Calcium Homeostasis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Apr; 43(4): 617–623. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181f79fa8. PMCID: PMC3145631. NIHMSID: NIHMS311626. [PMID: 20798655] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3145631/