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Baie-Saint-Paul (Charlevoix)Lifestyle

Sugar-free ways to beat the heat

When a heat wave hits, there are plenty of options for quenching your thirst. Unfortunately, many drinks are often laced with lots of sugar.

Chantal Barnwell, head of the Spa Nordique at Le Germain Charlevoix Hotel & Spa, shares some valuable tips for avoiding a sugar overload.

“In the summer, I use the fresh herbs from our garden to create the flavoured water we serve at the spa,” she explains. “I make blends by adding a few fruits or vegetables—cucumber, basil and lemon balm, fennel with citrus, or perhaps strawberry and mint, blackberries with sage, or watermelon with rosemary.” It seems hydration goes hand in hand with flavour and colour at the Spa Nordique. This is ideal when it comes to the thermal experience, as saunas and hot springs cause us to sweat far more than usual. It also happens to be perfect for summer heat waves.

“I also like making unsweetened iced teas and herbal infusions, such as chai, a spicy black tea, or rooibos, a caffeine-free plant in the legume family that grows in South Africa,” Ms. Barnwell adds. “Both during the thermal experience and after facial or body treatments, staying well hydrated is crucial for helping to naturally flush our bodies of impurities.”

Heat waves and spas aside, proper hydration is essential for the body to function properly. In addition to being a vehicle for vitamins and minerals, water is a major component of the blood, and the lymph which contains the white blood cells that make up our immune system. Given that thirst is the first sign of dehydration, followed by fatigue and headache, it is always a good idea to have a source of water on hand. “Offering our thermal experience guests the option of unsweetened flavoured water is also a way to promote an alternative to juice and sugary drinks for staying hydrated. I even suggest using a glass bottle to take their flavoured water with them: its colours can serve as an appetizing visual reminder to drink enough throughout the day,” Ms. Barnwell notes.

With these delicious ideas, you can now jazz up your own still or sparkling water to maintain a beautiful, hydrated glow all year long.

By Catherine Lefebvre

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Germain HôtelsJune 1st, 2017
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