I’ll be the first to admit that getting the required ounces of fluids each day is tough. I get busy and before I know it I’ve let four hours go by without fluid intake. Those of us who are or have been caregivers know that the day can get away from us pretty quickly. It’s important for our stress levels as well as the health of the person we are caring for to stay hydrated. For a caregiver, staying hydrated helps keep energy levels up. For older adults, staying hydrated is important for helping their bodies process all the medications they ingest.
One trick I have discovered is keeping a clear water bottle full of fruit and herb infused water on the top shelf of my refrigerator. That way when I go searching for something to snack on its right in front of me. We have all heard that sometimes the need for snacks is actually our body telling us we are thirsty, so why not try some infused water first before we reach for something to munch on.
You can mix in just about any fruit or herb but my favorites have become:
- Lemon/Lime
- Strawberry/Lime/Mint
- Rosemary/Cucumber
- Mint/Lime
You get the idea! Just mix what you like together. I’ve found that I use my kitchen herb garden more now that I am jazzing my water up. While Googling infused recipes recently, I came across this article from AARP with some great infused water recipes. You can also download our recent PDF on dehydration.
What is your favorite combination?