May 17, 2019 – After a record weekend of heat, today I sit at Olympic Hot Tub looking outside and seeing rain. In other words, a typical Seattle spring. I’m not complaining—I love our weather here, for the most part. This past weekend’s fleeting heat made me think about the warmer days ahead and the importance of staying hydrated. Whether you’re driving around in your car, out for a run in the heat, gardening or—yes!—hot tubbing, we all need to keep our bodies fully hydrated. If we’re not, we set ourselves up to experience fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, low blood pressure…and that’s just a few of the downers you could suffer!

Water is wonderful for a great hot tub soak, but it’s also key to keep us on the right side of hydration. There are a number of terrific drink alternatives that are outstanding for hydration as well, and some fruits that really help too. Here’s a list to keep in mind as the days heat up.

Hydrating Drinks

• Lemon Water. It’s a simple refreshing way to enjoy that water and enhance the hydration. It’s also aids in digestion, provides a bit of vitamin C to help your immune system, and even help out your skin!
• Coconut Water. Definitely great during or after a soak. It not only helps with hydration; its natural electrolytes are a plus. It’s also really easy on digestion.
• Cucumber Juice. Good to wet your whistle, true! It’s a terrific way to get antioxidants, which prevent and delay cell damage from oxidative stress. That type of stress is linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and eye issues. It’s also terrific for your skin and helps lower blood pressure.
• Fruit Infused Water. If you’re not a big fan of drinking just water, drinking water with fruit may be a terrific answer for you. It helps many avoid reaching for a sugary drink, as the natural fruit flavor seems to satisfy the palate just as well. It can also help you feel fuller. Sometimes thirst can make your body falsely feel it’s hungry when it’s not. Fruit infused water could satisfy that false hunger and address your thirst at the same time.

That fruit infused water is a terrific choice…but there are also a number of fruits known for their ability to take care of that hydration need and be tasty and refreshing at the same time. I love all of these!

Hydrating Fruits

• Watermelon. With a 92% water content, this fruit is king of hydration. You’ll also have a low caloric intake, and get vitamin C, vitamin A and magnesium to boot.
• Strawberries. Strawberries are an incredibly close second to watermelon with a water content of 91%. You’ll get some good vitamin C and minerals, as well as lots of fiber. They’re terrific to help reduce inflammation too.
• Cantaloupe. Rich in vitamin A to help give your immune system a boost, and the fiber content helps promote fullness, reducing your appetite. 90% water content makes it a hydration hero!

All of these drinks and fruits would be a great refreshing addition to your hot tub soak and keep you in a healthy hydration state.

Bring on the heat!