Summer Drinks

It’s important to keep well hydrated in Summer since we sweat more especially when we exercise.

A good clue as to the state of your hydration is the color of your pee. It should be a light shade of yellow. If it is more orange-looking then you probably need more fluids. I’m finding that I need to drink a lot to achieve this.

I found a great way to stop myself sweating so much in bed, apart from reduced activity, is to wrap a cooler pack in a towel and rest that against my head. This worked a treat. Even with a fan going, I could feel my head sweating before doing this little trick. These cooler packs are available in flexible packs (although they freeze solid) and are meant to be put in cooler boxes. You want to avoid direct skin contact though since that may burn your skin over an extended time.

It would quickly get boring just drinking water, so try Sports Drinks (these can replace some of the minerals lost during exercise) as well. Also, I like chilled Green Tea (but experiment with the brand to find one you like the taste of). The large bottles are the best value and you can keep them in your fridge.

I also recommend having plenty of Ice cubes or bags of Ice to hand. I like to drop these into a mug of wine! This keeps the wine chilled and dilutes it. I am finding that in summer, it works well to Chill Red Wine and drop a large chunk of ice in with it. I imagine it should also work with White Wine without spoiling the taste. I tried it with cheap Brut tonight and it seems to work too.

In Japan, there is a Drink called Sho Chu (the best type is Potato-based rather than rice-based IMO) which I love. It tastes similar to Whiskey but more subtle and is normally served on the Rocks, it’s also much less potent than Whiskey. So if you like Whiskey, for a lower calorie and less potent drink, try this one out.

Following main meals (in my case lunch), I love to have a bowl of fresh fruit. Water Melon, Melon, Grapes or Tangerines etc. with nothing added. Just enjoy the fresh juices of the fruit.