During the hotter summer and festive months, we all need to make sure that we stay hydrated – the healthy way! When we enjoy cold drinks like fizzy drinks, alcoholic drinks, cordials and even juices, it’s important to remember that these are often very high in sugar, which can actually make you feel thirsty all over again. Sugar is known to dehydrate you quite easily, so although you may think that you are quenching your thirst, you may find that you feel thirsty quite soon afterwards again.
Heleen Meyer encourages us to stay hydrated with water – which is what your body, skin, brain and all your organs really need on a hot day! The general recommendation is that we should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per a day. Some people do however struggle to drink ‘plain’ tap water, so Heleen has some handy tips to apply.
Refreshing and interesting
Add lots of flavour to water with your choice of fresh elements, like seasonal fruit, or herbs like mint, lemon slices or a combination of these for a natural and healthy, ‘flavoured’ thirst quencher. Even a few slices of cucumber are really refreshing in water and a mint leaf or two is the perfect flavour partner with it. Have you added slices of strawberry, nectarine or apple to a glass of water before?
Not a fan of water at all? Then a healthy homemade drink with Rooibos as the base, is a great alternative. Make Heleen’s homemade iced tea recipe https://saarp.net/blogs/food/quench-your-thirst-the-healthy-way
Keep your drinks cool – the cool way!
Have you ever used frozen grapes instead of ice? Freeze a handful of grapes in a suitable freezer-container or freezer bag and add them to your drinks next time. Ice melts in drinks, so if you don’t want the drink to be diluted, frozen grapes are the answer to keeping your drink ice cold and revitalising. It’s great for a glass of white wine, but it will work its cooling magic in just about any drink! And by the time your drink is finished, you have a wonderful ‘snack’ to chew on.
Note: don’t keep the grapes for longer than a week in the freezer as they lose their freshness. Frozen raspberries or blueberries will be just as delicious!
Ice it!
Floral ice cubes or balls are so elegant and easy to make and the perfect thing to wow your guests with this summer. A few of these in an ice bucket or cooler really look like you are an expert at hosting. Add edible flowers like nasturtium, pansies, borage, rose petals, or lavender to a normal ice tray. Or if you have a ball-shaped silicon ice mould, you can use that for bigger ice balls. Other ingredients to add are sturdy herbs like thyme or rosemary and lemon, pomegranate arils or small berries are so beautiful in the ice. Cover the fresh elements with cold water and freeze overnight until solid. Add the ice cubes to a cocktail or mocktail of your choice, a jug of water or iced tea or even just to zhoozh up an ice bucket – and be ready for your guests to OOH and AAH!
For more tips like these visit Heleen’s website https://heleenmeyer.co.za/.
Images by Adel Ferreira