How to Stay Hydrated this Summer
Every single one of your cells in your body needs fluid to function properly. From regulating your temperature, to making digestion move smoothly, fluid is essential!
With the long days and hot temperatures of summer, we want to stay more vigilant about our fluid intake.
June 23rd is National Hydration Day – and I’ve got some tips for you to stay hydrated this summer! These tips are from my segment on CHCH Morning Live, discussing summer hydration!
Tip #1: All Fluids Count – Except for Alcohol
The old myth of needing to drink “8 glasses of water per day” has been de-bunked.
It should be ~8 glasses of fluid per day, not just water. Of course this also depends on your age, gender and activity level:
For adult men: Closer to 3 L of water per day, ~12 cups*
For adult women: Around 2 L of water per day, ~8 cups*
*Source: Dietitians of Canada
Coffee and tea – Count towards hydration. The diuretic effect of these drinks does not cause dehydration; so count it towards your fluid intake!
Milk, fruit or vegetable juice and pop – Although fruit juice and pop are not ideal due to their high sugar content, they also count towards fluid intake.
Alcohol will cause dehydration. For every drink of alcohol, you should have a cup of fluid in a 1:1 ratio to offset dehydration.
In the summer, due to increased perspiration, you might want to drink more fluids. But you don’t have to rely on drinking to meet your fluid intake level, which brings me to my next point.
Tip #2: Eat your Water!
Did you know? Watermelon is 92% water, so it makes an excellent summer hydration fruit. Watermelon is also a source of the amino acid L-Citrulline which has been shown to aid in muscle recovery.
And Canadians LOVE watermelon! Last year we imported 300 million pounds of watermelon from the US! For majority of the summer, watermelon comes from the states because they have the climate to support watermelon growing.
Tip #3 Make Hydration Fun!
Recipe: Watermelon Ice Cubes
Because it’s 92% water, watermelon freezes very well. Here I made watermelon “ice cubes.” This is a great recipe to make if you have too much watermelon:
– Cut watermelon into small cubes and put on a baking sheet.
– Put baking sheet in the freezer.
– 4 hours later, you have your watermelon ice cubes
– You use it like ice cubes!
Here’s another tip for summer picnics and bbqs: You can take your watermelon ice cubes, along with some other delicious fruits and make Watermelon Infused Water. Check out the recipe here.
Recipe: Watermelon Infused Water
Recipe: Watermelon Popsicles
A great hydrating and cooling treat for summer is Watermelon Popsicles. You can find the recipe here.
Here is another health tip about watermelon: watermelon is high in the antioxidant lycopene, which can protect against sun damage. This doesn’t mean forgo the sunscreen, but it’s a nice added benefit to eating watermelon!
Watch my interview on CHCH Morning Live!

Meet Michelle
Welcome, I'm Michelle! I'm a TV and digital media registered dietitian and Asian cuisine content creator based out of Hamilton, ON Canada!
JOIN THE NEWSLETTER
Sign up for my newsletter here and receive FREE Guide “10 High Protein, High Fibre Recipes to Help Fuel Your Day”