Summer Nutrition

Its been a scorcher of a week so far with regards to our weather and I spoke about the importance of hydration 3 weeks back as the weather began to pick up. Here’s the link in case you missed it:

Mike’s Mid Week Blog – Hydration & Health

I mentioned in that blog you can google best foods to hydrate to get some ideas to keep you cool during the heat. As we’re now in a mini heat wave i’ll touch on some foods which I personally find beneficial in relation to aiding my hydration and also water percentage content. Having researched many sources to get accurate date, here’ s some information from the American Dietetic Association and USDA in relation to food with higher water content, all of which I eat regularly.

Lettuce (1½ cup) – Water content 95%
Roughly only 15 calories per 100 grams this a great bulk food for summer salads. Lettuce also contains various vitamins and minerals required by thebody and also acts a source of dietary fibre

Watermelon (1½ cup) – Water content 92%
Working out at 30 calories per 100 grams I absolutely love this fruit. Once i’ve picked through all the pips you can feel when eating that its filled with water. As well as contributing vitamins and minerals to your body, watermelon is full of antioxidants as well. A great snack in the summer
Broccoli (1½ cup) – Water content 91%
Probably my favourite vegetable. I eat at least 200 -300 grams of this daily. Calorie content works out at about 34 calories per 100 grams. A good source of fibre with 2.6 grams per 100 grams of weight. Full of vitamins and minerals it will help strengthen your immune system
Carrot (1½ cup) – Water content 87%
A proper english vegetable (not that I know where it originates from), associated with many house holds as a staple part of the family diet. 100 grams worth of a typical carrot comes in at 41 calories with a good amount of fibre at 2.8 grams. The sugar content per 100 grams is 4.7 grams which accounts for its typical sweet taste. Its a great source of carbohydrate as well as yes you guessed it full of great vitamins and minerals.
Yogurt (100 grams) – Water content 85%

In this case I have used an example of an Asda Full Fat Greek Style Yoghurt. A daily source of my diet and use it with nuts, fruit and also on occasions protein powder. Per 100 grams the calorie content is 125 calories. The fibre content is non existent, however benefits include: a source of protein, calcium, and fat.
Apple (one medium) – Water content 84%

Per 100 grams a typical apple sits at around 52 calories. Containing fibre and antioxidants. Sugar content is 10 grams per 100 grams however the fibre content will assist in stabilising blood sugar levels.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/wonders-of-water

Google Search

USDA

https://www.livescience.com/46019-watermelon-nutrition.html

Asda