Easy Ways to Stay Hydrated during Summer Making sure you keep your body hydrated is very essential during the summer months. This is particularly true if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the heat. Whether you are mowing the lawn, playing sports or gardening , you need to stay hydrated. Dehydration can happen quickly if you are out in the heat, working and sweating. Sweating helps keeping our bodies cool, but in the process we lose water that our body needs to stay hydrated. Here are some easy ways that can make you stay hydrated this summer. Healthy Eating Eating healthy foods on a routine basis will help to keep your body hydrated. Fruits, vegetable, and even meats, contain nutrients that helps in this process. You will still need to take steps to stay hydrated, if you are going to be outside in the heat for an extended amount of time. Increase Your Water Intake We all have heard that we need to drink 8-12 glasses of water each day. Drinking water is one of the easiest and quickest ways to keep our bodies hydrated. If you don't like plain water, adding some flavor could help. Drop in a slice of lemon; add a few drops of lemon juice or any other fruit juice that you enjoy. If you know you will be out in the heat for a long time, plan ahead of time. Freeze a couple of bottles of water to take outside with you. Keep them close by, so you can grab a quick drink every few minutes. Eat More Fruit Snacking on some juicy, fresh fruit is another easy way to stay hydrated during the summer. Apples, oranges, grapes, berries, watermelon, and many other fruits will help in keeping you hydrated. If you aren't a big drinker, this can be a better alternative. Eat More Vegetables Vegetables are packed with nutrients that can help keep our bodies hydrated. If you aren't a big veggie eater, here is a suggestion. Make yourself a fruit smoothie, but throw in a couple of small veggies. The fruit helps mask the taste of the vegetables. This is a great way to sneak a few veggies to your kids. Sports Drinks Sports drinks are full of electrolytes, sodium and potassium, that our bodies need to replenish after long periods of strenuous exercise or sports activities. __._,_.__