Come summer and your body rebels: from your skin to your throat, everything needs hydration! While water is easily a good way to make sure you remain hydrated and have the fluid content you need, it’s not enough! Summer heat makes you sweat, and along with all the water that you lose, you wind up losing a lot of salts as well. Precious minerals go for a toss, and need to be replenished so that your body functions can resume normally! While you might think that an energy drink or a cold drink off the shelves at a store might help, think again: you are not compensating the lost minerals, but rather, adding on empty calories! Here are thirteen thirst quenching foods that you can stock up on this summer!

1. Watermelon: Rich in water as it is, watermelons are marvelous for the body because they come with lycopene, which helps keep cancer at bay.
2. Bananas: With 74% water and lots of minerals like selenium, calcium, sodium, magnesium etc. and vitamins like A, B1, B2, B6, C, E and K, Bananas are a good way to keep your body hydrated.
3. Cucumbers: As rich in water as watermelons are, cucumbers are also rich in vitamins A, C and K, which help your body process its needs and keep up its immunity.
4. Radishes: Radishes are also rich in water, but are doubly useful because of the rich fibre content, low cholestrol and vitamin wealth.
5. Celery: Celery stalks are perfect snacks to have, given that they have 95% water, and are rich in vitamin A, C and D, folate and fibre.
6. Lettuce: Whether in summer salads or just on the go, Lettuce leaves are a good source of water and vitamins and electrolytes that help compensate the salts you lose by sweating.
7. Tomatoes: Besides having a lot of water, tomatoes are rich in sodium, which is a necessary mineral in the body, and is often lost by perspiration.
8. Cabbages: Rich in vitamin C and natural probiotics, Cabbages help keep your digestion in order while also hydrating your system.
9. Spinach: A great source of lutein, potassium, fibre and folate, Spinach takes care of free radicals that help keep the body young and supple.
10. Apples: Rich in fibre, and minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, apples are a great dietary supplement in summer.
11. Broccoli: With 90% water content, Broccoli also has sulfophane, which boosts the production of the body’s protective enzymes and makes it summer healthy!
12. Curd: Drink it as buttermilk or eat it as it is, Curd is rich in water and has essential minerals, and also leaves your body with a cooling effect, making summers easier to bear.
13. Coconut water: The refreshing drink is nature’s very own electrolyte, as it puts together a lot of minerals and natural salts that keep your body boosted despite the heat.

References:
http://healthmeup.com/
http://www.health.com/
http://iyfoods.com/blog/

Photo Courtesy: cheatsheet.com