Keeping hydrated is important for health, especially during physical activity. Water is best for meeting fluid needs but can be bland, so adding fruit provides flavor. Sports drinks are high in added sugar and often unnecessary except for intense exercise in heat. Drinking extra water after general activity is enough to replace fluids lost through sweating. Coconut water is a healthier rehydration option than sugary drinks. Supporting local sustainable farms through CSAs or farmers markets helps the environment, communities and animal welfare.

1. FluidChoicesof our Hydration Needs
Keepingthe bodyhydratedhelpsthe heartmore easilypumpbloodthroughthe bloodvesselstothe
musclesand ithelpsthe musclesworkefficiently.Itisimportanttodrinkenoughfluidthroughoutthe
day especiallyduringthe hotsummermonthswhenconsumingenoughfluidisevenmore important
whenengaginginphysical activity.
Water isalwaysbestformeetingourfluidneeds,butcanbe blandandboring. Try usinga flavored
waterenhanceror addingfreshorfrozenfruitto yourwaterto add variety;frozenraspberriesand
blackberriesare easytostore formonthsand act as flavorful ice cubesforyourwater!
Powerade andRehydrationBeveragescanbe packedwithaddedsugarwith“empty”calories. These
drinksprovide electrolytesandsodiumbutoftenwe don’tneedthese forgeneralphysicalactivity.If you
exercise orengage inanyactivitythatmakesyousweat, youneedtodrinkextrawaterto compensate
for the fluidlossbuta sportsdrinkisn’tnecessary. Drinkinganextra1.5 to 2.5 cupsof waterafter
general physical activityisgenerallyenoughtocompensate forfluidlostwhilesweating. Butexercising
duringhot summermonthsoftenmeanthe bodyhaslosta large amountof sodiumandother
electrolytes. A rehydrationbeverage isoften neededwhenexercisingforoveranhour at highintensity
or in a hot or humidclimate. Coconutwater,suchasZicois a great alternative tootherrehydration
beveragesthatare packedwithartificial colors,flavoring,andunnecessarysugar.
Rememberthatwomenshouldbe consumingabout9,8ounce cupsof waterina dayand menshouldbe
consumingabout13, 8 ounce cups of water a day to meetfluidneeds.
Summer Strawberry Coconut Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
1¼ cup coconut water
1 cup strawberries,frozen
1 tsp.honey(addmore for makingsweeter)
Instructions:
Addall ingredientsinablenderand
processuntil smooth.
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agricultureisthe productionof food,fiber,orotherplantor animal productsthat use
farmingtechniquesthatprotectthe environment,publichealth,humancommunities,andanimal
welfare.Sustainable farmsproduce cropsandraise animalswithoutrelyingontoxicchemical pesticides,
syntheticfertilizers,geneticallymodifiedseeds,orpracticesthatdegrade soil,water,orothernatural
resources.

2. Sustainable farmsare away to provide farmers,foodprocessors,andothersemployedinthe foodand
agriculture systemwithalivable wage andsafe,fairworkingconditions.Thesefarmsalsohelpto
supportlocal and regional economiesbycreatingjobsandbuildingstrongcommunities!
How can youhelpsupportyourlocal sustainable farms?JoinaCommunitySupportedAgriculture (CSA)
such as the GreenEarth Institute andpurchase a share for deliveryof freshlocal produce. The Green
Earth Institute ispartneredwithVillaSt.Benedictandprovidesfreshproduceweekly andisa great way
to supportthe local economyandsustainable agriculture.Youcanvisit
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ tofindinformationaboutotherCSAsinthe area. You can alsovisit
local farmers marketslike the Naperville Farmer’sMarketwhichrunseverySaturdayfromJune to
October.
What about Grass- Fed?
The AmericanGrass-fedAssociationdefinesgrass-fedproductsfromruminants,includingcattle,bison,
goats andsheep,asthose food productsfromanimalsthat have eatennothingbuttheirmother’smilk
and freshgrassor grass-type hayfrombirth to harvest – all theirlives.Theyare alsoraisedwithno
confinementandnoantibioticsorhormones,andmustbe bornand raisedinthe U.S. Grass-fedmeats
oftenhave a highernutrientcontentincludingomega-3fattyacids,noaddedpesticidesorhormonesin
theirbody,andpromotesan environmentthatallowsforbiodiversity.