How to stay fully hydrated in summer

Hydrating in summer

Hydration does not mean drinking large quantities of water. Water is an essential nutrient, but it is not only present in the clear liquid we drink on a regular basis. It is crucial to know what our real needs are.

Everything we eat contains water, to a greater or lesser extent. Water is the origin of life and we must make proper use of it by knowing how much water is contained in everyday food and how much we use in cooking.

In the planet and in the human body three quarters are water and one quarter is represented by solid earth and in us solid matter, flesh and fats.

In the last century there was an eagerness to break down the organic construction of the human being analytically in order to study it and determine its supposed needs for liquids, proteins, etc. It was then realised that the human body had a high water content, and this study led to a real obsession with hydration, and as a result people began to drink excessively. People always carry a bottle of water with them and we force ourselves to drink without being thirsty. From this analytical and fragmented point of view, the relationship between diet and salt intake is not questioned.

On the other hand, the official recommendations also do not mention or specify anything about the quality of the water we use for drinking and cooking.

Diets that include meat, eggs, sausages, baked goods such as pastries and pizza or salty foods on a daily basis require more fluid intake.

From the macrobiotic-vegan point of view, a diet based on whole grains, pulses, vegetables, soups and broths, seasonal fruits, ferments, infusions and teas and without abusing salty foods, we do not need to drink a large amount of water as our liquid intake is provided by the food we eat. If the water with which we cook our food is also of good quality, we allow our metabolism to function better and protect our kidneys.

There are many foods that already contain water in themselves.

For example:

Cooked brown rice contains 70% water.

Drained lentils without broth contain 95% liquid.

The juiciest cooked vegetables can reach up to 100% and the rest 95%.

In fact, to hydrate well, we need minerals and liquids with infiltrated nutrients. For example, soups and broths with seaweed and vegetables, jellies made with seaweed and seasonal fruits.

When summer arrives, it is essential to hydrate and keep the digestive fire going. A high water intake, especially cold or sparkling water, does not guarantee good hydration and digestive health.

Fire pre-digests food, i.e. it helps our digestive system to process what we eat and thus facilitates the absorption of nutrients. Therefore, depending on our condition, we can not only eat cooked food in summer, but we should give preference to cooked over raw food.

How do we adapt our kitchen to eat in summer and nourish and hydrate ourselves in a balanced way?

1. Reduce the proportion of grain cereals and opt for lighter cereals such as polenta or bulgur.

2. Double your vegetable intake.

3. Increase the proportion of fruit.

4. Reduce cooking times and prioritise steaming or blanching.

5. Include raw foods

6. Eat more seaweed such as agar agar and nori to remineralise. There is a widespread belief that in summer you should eat a lot of raw food because it is hot. However, it would be correct to say that you should not eat hot food as you do in winter, as cooking is not the same as eating hot food. It should also be borne in mind that drinking alcohol and carbonated water dehydrates us. How to be optimally hydrated in summer:

1. Pre-cooked vegetable gazpachos with a little seaweed

2. Gelatins with agar agar and seasonal fruit such as watermelon, melon or cucumber.

3. Drink kukicha tea regularly with a little umeboshito maintain alkalinity.

4. Add seeds to salads and porridge in the morning to provide minerals. Remember that hydration is all about mineral and vitamin intake.

5. Drink cold teas with a few drops of lemon and a little natural sweetener, kombuchas or barley malts which, apart from hydrating us, help us to eliminate body heat.

And above all, do not confuse the idea of drinking something cold for pleasure, which generally does not quench thirst, with the idea of hydrating with a cool but not cold preparation.

3 refreshing and moisturising recipes

Cucumber gazpacho

Ingredients:

5 cucumbers

4 onions

1 tablespoon white miso

1 small soy yoghurt

1 piece of kombu seaweed

A little rice syrup

juice of 2 limes

A bunch of dill

Olive oil

Salt

Preparation:

1. Cut the onions into half moons.

2. Sauté in a little oil with a pinch of salt and the seaweed pieces until transparent.

3. Peel the cucumbers and add them to the sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Leave to cool.

5. Extract the kombu seaweed.

6. Blend with the lemon juice, rice syrup and white miso.

7. Add the soy yoghurt

8. Serve with dill.

Peach smoothie

Moisturises and nourishes

 Ingredients:

3 peaches

A handful of sultanas

A handful of almonds

1 little rice syrup

2 glasses of oat drink

A little cinnamon powder

2 tablespoons rice amazake

z A pinch of salt

Preparation:

Peel the peaches

2. Cut them into slices

3. Grind it in a food processor.

4. Whisk and serve with cinnamon powder

Watermelon jelly

Moisturising, diuretic, refreshing and remineralising

Ingredients:

A large piece of watermelon with the skin removed

1 tablespoon of agar agar

A pinch of salt

A few drops of lemon juice

Mint leaves

Preparation:

1. Mash half the watermelon until you have one litre of liquid.

2. Dissolve the agar agar in a little cold water and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in the watermelon juice and cook for 1 minute.

4. Allow to cool

5. Cut the remaining watermelon into 1cm cubes and drizzle with the lemon juice.

6. Arrange on a glass tray together with the mint leaves.

7. Add the watermelon juice and leave to cool.

8. Cut the remaining watermelon into 1 cm cubes and sprinkle with the lemon juice.

Article written by Patricia Restrepodirector of IME and macrobiotic consultant.