Hot & Bothered?
Beat the Heat!
Hot! Humid! Are these sweltering summer days making you feel like a wilting flower? A cool shower could help, but a better way to beat the heat is to make sure your body is getting enough liquids. When it's hot and humid, our bodies need extra fluids to stay hydrated, so you feel less like a drooping flower.
 
How much liquid is enough? That depends on your age and what you're doing. Everyone's different. On average, it's recommended that we drink about 10 ½ cups of liquid a day, with men typically needing more fluids than women.
 
At Harvest Home, we have tried a lot of tasty and easy ways to help us get the fluids we need, especially during the summer. Let's start with what you eat: Snack on summer fruits and veggies, like watermelon, peaches, nectarines, plums, tomatoes and cucumbers. These are all full of delicious liquids and the nutrition your body needs on hot summer days.
 
It's also important to remember to drink the right liquids. Not only are some liquids better for you than others, but some liquids actually help you stay cooler than others. For example; soda and flavored juices are loaded with sugar that your body does not need and has to generate heat to process. More heat is opposite of cool! The best thing to drink to stay cool is lots of plain water.  
 
Before you say "BORING," check out these tips to make water exciting and refreshing:
  • Add slices of lemon, lime, oranges, chunks of watermelon or any fruit with a bit of mint for a healthier version of Vitamin Water.  
  • Make your own iced tea with some zing by adding mint, ginger or basil, or even fruit.
  • Add a splash of lemon or juice to sparkling water as a replacement for soda.
Try out these tips as well as the tasty tea recipes we've shared this week. You'll appreciate the fruits and veggies available at our markets can help beat the heat. Stay cool!  

TEAS WITH TASTE 
Recipes

Lemon-Blueberry Tea
Ingredients
  • 1 quart of blueberries
  • ½ cup of lemon juice
  • 3 family-size tea bags
  • Sugar to taste
Preparation
  • Bring blueberries & lemon juice to a boil & simmer for 5 minutes. Pour through a sieve pressing out the juice.
  • Rinse the pan. Add 4 cups of water & 3 family size tea bags. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags.
  • Mix fruit juice & tea together. Chill for an hour. Add a little sugar if it's too tart.

Peach Mint Tea
Ingredients
  • 8 tea bags
  • 4 ripe peaches, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 small bunch of mint
Preparation
  • Bring 8 cups of water to a boil & add 8 tea bags. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags & chill.
  • Add peaches and mint before drinking. For stronger peach-mint flavor, add to tea immediately.
COOLER THAN COOL
Tips

Beverages
  • African Red Tea (Rooibus): Make double strength and then pour over ice. Add more water if it's too strong.
     
  • For stronger tea flavor, add fruit with the hot water and tea bags. Remove the fruit after one day in fridge.
     
  • Mint adds a refreshing taste to almost any beverage.
     
  • Try herb tea like green tea or chamomile over ice with a little mint.
     
  • Recharge your body with a glass of Pedialyte instead of sports drinks. It cost half as much and has twice the electrolytes.  
How to Stay Cool
  • For breakfast try a fruit smoothie with low-fat yogurt, fruit & greens.
     
  • Try a light lunch. Eat salads with cucumbers & peppers.
WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH?