It\u2019s not exactly national holiday material. But National Hydration Day does remind us about the importance of beverage sipping for human health, an activity that rises in importance as the days grow hotter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hydration is vital. Water comprises about 60% of our bodies. It transports nutrients, eliminates waste, lubricates and cushions joints. Water regulates body temperature, protects organs, reduces blood pressure, enhances liver and metabolic functions and bolsters cells\u2019 ability to transform food into fuel. In short, water not only represents a substance essential for human life; it also helps make life enjoyable. Without proper hydration, our health degrades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among other things, poor hydration leads to mitigated blood volume, which affects blood pressure. Also, the body\u2019s quotient of minerals like salt remains constant regardless of water volume. When the amount of water in the body dips, these minerals get concentrated. The effect is a bodily imbalance, a lack of homeostasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While hydration matters year-round, it becomes especially urgent during the hot months, as perspiration removes water from our bodies. Unless we are exercising vigorously when our environment is cool, we lose much less water due to perspiration during seasons without high temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of this supports the importance of drinking across the day. It\u2019s a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beverages are crucial all summer. But which ones are best?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.kuchatea.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AdobeStock_529975827-1024x683.jpeg\")
This hiker needs hydration during hikes – and so do you!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBut of course we all confront options for the things we\u2019ll sip to maintain happy hydration. Water is an excellent idea. Alcohol is not, as it is a powerful diuretic, causing increased needs to urinate and, thus, water loss. Sweet beverages like soda and fruit juice can help with the hydration bit, but they also detract from health in myriad ways. Ditto for dairy milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then there\u2019s tea, which is water infused with botanicals. The caffeine in traditional Camellia sinensis<\/em> is a mild diuretic. But the effect is so minimal that it doesn\u2019t contribute toward dehydration, according to research.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTea, however, includes much more than our beloved oolongs and greens. It also encompasses a huge number of herbal preparations, most of which do not contain any caffeine. And one of these herbal teas, South African rooibos, is especially powerful for hydration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Rooibos Advantage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.kuchatea.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AdobeStock_120003997-1024x683.jpeg\")
Drink rooibos tea for your electrolytes. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe ready-to-drink beverage market contains loads of drinks designed for upped hydration<\/mark><\/a>. Gatorade represents the OG hydration beverage, and many more now line market shelves. One ingredient nearly all of them share? Electrolytes. And electrolytes are something found in relative abundance in rooibos tea<\/mark><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nElectrolytes are minerals essential for regulating the body\u2019s balance of fluids, playing key roles in maintaining optimum blood pressure, muscle contraction and overall system performance. The main electrolytes found in the world, as well as in rooibos, are sodium, potassium and magnesium. When we lose water thanks to perspiration, these essential electrolytes also drift away from the body. This negatively influences the body\u2019s functioning, as it requires a certain balance of electrolytes and water to maintain homeostasis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enter rooibos, an electrolyte-dense beverage without added sweeteners, preservatives, artificial flavors and the rest of the nasties often found in sports drinks. It\u2019s awfully simple: water infused with rooibos. Many rooibos teas are blends, incorporating other botanicals like herbs, roots, spices, flowers and fruit. All of these are health-forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Summer is officially just a day old\u2014the solstice, yesterday, kicked off the warm season. It\u2019s time to hit the trails and the bike and pedestrian paths; the playing fields and the basketball courts. We recommend brewing one of the following rooibos teas in large amounts, and storing the brewed tea in a pitcher in the refrigerator. Before heading out, fill a water bottle with cold rooibos. Your body will thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHydration Tea: Boulder Boost (Organic)<\/mark><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.kuchatea.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/boulder_boost_3b_ed.jpg\")
Boulder Boost combines energy with hydration.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOur home state and city, Boulder, Colorado, inspired our creation of this fantastic blend. Boulderites spend all summer running along mountain trails, and cycling up steep roads. Many professional athletes live in the city. The people of Boulder kayak, paddleboard, wade streams fishing for trout, swim lap after lap in pools (the city is ground zero for triathletes), and spend an unusual amount of time moving their bodies in the outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If any city needs a hydration solution, it\u2019s Boulder! Summers can be quite hot too, and the air is normally awfully dry. Our Boulder Boost delivers both energy and hydration through rooibos. Outstanding flavor, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the energy front, it includes guayusa, a South American shrub similar to yerba mate that contains caffeine. As referenced earlier, caffeine can be a mild diuretic, but research has concluded that that effect is negligible. The tea also contains vanilla, tulsi, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, fennel and rose, all of which bring different wellness benefits<\/a> to the party, from digestion assistance (ginger and fennel) to blood sugar regulation (cinnamon) to heart health <\/a>(rose). And then there\u2019s the hydration powerhouse green rooibos. We keep this spectacle of hydration and energy excellence in the refrigerator all summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHydration Tea: Vanilla Rooibos<\/mark><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n
But of course we all confront options for the things we\u2019ll sip to maintain happy hydration. Water is an excellent idea. Alcohol is not, as it is a powerful diuretic, causing increased needs to urinate and, thus, water loss. Sweet beverages like soda and fruit juice can help with the hydration bit, but they also detract from health in myriad ways. Ditto for dairy milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then there\u2019s tea, which is water infused with botanicals. The caffeine in traditional Camellia sinensis<\/em> is a mild diuretic. But the effect is so minimal that it doesn\u2019t contribute toward dehydration, according to research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tea, however, includes much more than our beloved oolongs and greens. It also encompasses a huge number of herbal preparations, most of which do not contain any caffeine. And one of these herbal teas, South African rooibos, is especially powerful for hydration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ready-to-drink beverage market contains loads of drinks designed for upped hydration<\/mark><\/a>. Gatorade represents the OG hydration beverage, and many more now line market shelves. One ingredient nearly all of them share? Electrolytes. And electrolytes are something found in relative abundance in rooibos tea<\/mark><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Electrolytes are minerals essential for regulating the body\u2019s balance of fluids, playing key roles in maintaining optimum blood pressure, muscle contraction and overall system performance. The main electrolytes found in the world, as well as in rooibos, are sodium, potassium and magnesium. When we lose water thanks to perspiration, these essential electrolytes also drift away from the body. This negatively influences the body\u2019s functioning, as it requires a certain balance of electrolytes and water to maintain homeostasis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter rooibos, an electrolyte-dense beverage without added sweeteners, preservatives, artificial flavors and the rest of the nasties often found in sports drinks. It\u2019s awfully simple: water infused with rooibos. Many rooibos teas are blends, incorporating other botanicals like herbs, roots, spices, flowers and fruit. All of these are health-forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Summer is officially just a day old\u2014the solstice, yesterday, kicked off the warm season. It\u2019s time to hit the trails and the bike and pedestrian paths; the playing fields and the basketball courts. We recommend brewing one of the following rooibos teas in large amounts, and storing the brewed tea in a pitcher in the refrigerator. Before heading out, fill a water bottle with cold rooibos. Your body will thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our home state and city, Boulder, Colorado, inspired our creation of this fantastic blend. Boulderites spend all summer running along mountain trails, and cycling up steep roads. Many professional athletes live in the city. The people of Boulder kayak, paddleboard, wade streams fishing for trout, swim lap after lap in pools (the city is ground zero for triathletes), and spend an unusual amount of time moving their bodies in the outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If any city needs a hydration solution, it\u2019s Boulder! Summers can be quite hot too, and the air is normally awfully dry. Our Boulder Boost delivers both energy and hydration through rooibos. Outstanding flavor, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the energy front, it includes guayusa, a South American shrub similar to yerba mate that contains caffeine. As referenced earlier, caffeine can be a mild diuretic, but research has concluded that that effect is negligible. The tea also contains vanilla, tulsi, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, fennel and rose, all of which bring different wellness benefits<\/a> to the party, from digestion assistance (ginger and fennel) to blood sugar regulation (cinnamon) to heart health <\/a>(rose). And then there\u2019s the hydration powerhouse green rooibos. We keep this spectacle of hydration and energy excellence in the refrigerator all summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Rooibos Advantage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHydration Tea: Boulder Boost (Organic)<\/mark><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n
Hydration Tea: Vanilla Rooibos<\/mark><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.kuchatea.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rt_vanillarooibos_02.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.kuchatea.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/rooibos-earl.jpeg\")