Eating to Stay Hydrated

I don't know about ya'll out there, but I am HOT! Not the sexy, can't keep your eyes off my bod hot, but the I can't keep my eyes off your profuse sweating because you are grossing me out hot. Yes, that's me. At the grocery store, the library, church, everywhere I go I work up a sweat. I don't even have to go anywhere. Taking a nap on my couch leaves me hot and sweaty. Now that the temperature of my beloved Arizona has shot past the 100s (did you know that it gets to 140 degrees F in the Sahara desert, and people still live there-yuck) I, whom dislikes the cold, dream about frolicking on a snow capped mountain. Not only that, I am constantly in a state of near dehydration. I am constantly asking myself, how can I stay hydrated without drinking myself into a hyponatremic state?

With this question in mind, my beloved Runner's World arrived and gave me just what I needed. In their July issue there is an article titled Eat Your Water that was really inspiring. I was hooked as soon as I saw the word Eat. The article said that we eat 20 percent of our water and that there are certain fruits and veggies that are packed with not only water but other performance enhancing stuff. For example, if you eat a three-ounce cucumber you get three-ounces of water plus nutrients for your connective tissue which includes skin, joints, muscles, etc. Cool.

Below is a list of some yummy foods that boost your water intake, keep you cool and make you feel good:

Cantaloupe
Peaches
Strawberries
Watermelon
Kiwi
Citrus
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Pineapple
Cherries
Yogurt
Kefir
Beans (like kidney, pinto, or garbanzo)

Be sure to include some or all of these in your diet throughout the summer. These things are in season during the summer for a reason. They keep us cool and hydrated and light. They are healthy, nutritious and will keep the pounds off for a nice, cool summer.