Although everyone tends to enjoy the hot summer days dipping in the water and taking boat rides, it is important that your body is kept cool and hydrated by eating fruit and drinking lots of water.

It also helps to eat plenty of salads and less heavier meals like pasta and vegetables.

All fruits are great -- especially high water content fruits like watermelon, kiwi, mangoes which are a good source of beta carotene (vitamin A) -- that's a plus since most people think their fattening.

According to nutritionist Betsy Baillie these specific fruits along with strawberries, oranges and papayas, are packed with nutrients.

"In the summer time it is good for people to drink cool drinks but what they should watch out for is consuming too many sweet drinks.

"A 12-ounce drink of juice or soda contains approximately up to 10 teaspoons of sugar so one of those a day works out to be a pound of sugar in a week.

More kids do gain weight over the summer which is mostly related to drinking so much sweet,'' Mrs. Baillie said.

She added: "Those big 20-ounce drinks have 18 to 20 teaspoons of sugar.

People look at the nutrition label and it gives you information for one serving but there is usually two and a half servings in the bottle and they get a false sense of security.

"We need to drink more water which is becoming very fashionable these days or sugar free drinks.'' Mrs. Baillie also said your body continually loses water through normal body functions -- namely respiration (breathing), evaporation (through the skin) and urination.

These losses add up to two and a half to three quarts of fluid a day. Losses can be greater when it is hot and/or you are exercising strenuously.

She added: "To replace this lost water you should consume 80 to 100 ounces of fluids daily. Most people only drink five to six glasses (40 to 48 ounces) a day.

"Water also comes from the food you eat, it is released from food during metabolism. Some foods have a higher water content than others. Fruits and vegetables are about 80 percent water, meats 50 percent and breads and cereals 35 percent water.'' Mrs. Baillie said it is better to drink water when your hot than sugary drinks.

"We should get 10 to 15 percent or less of our calories from simple sugars in a day so that means on a 2000 calorie diet you should get about 50 to 75 grams of sugar.'' She also stated that the thirst mechanism is not as acute in older adults and they tend to have lower stores of body water, so it is important that they drink plenty of fluids as their thirst is not a reliable guide to their water needs.

"People really need to drink before they get to the thirst point because being thirsty tells you that your body is low in fluids.'' She added that your body can always get rid of extra water, but it cannot function properly if you do not get enough. Dehydration results with an inadequate water intake.

It is estimated that a reduction of four to five percent body water will result in a 20 to 30 percent decline in work performance.

Mrs. Baillie also said in the old days people used to think it was important to take salt tablets to replace the salt lost through sweat but what happens is salt tablets provide the body with too concentrated a dose of sodium in relation to the amount of water you are likely to consume and in fact ends up leading to dehydration so water, is the best answer.

"People can drink the diet drinks or seltzer water, Perrier and mix it with sweeten drinks -- that will reduce the concentration of sugar.'' She added that people should also choose fat-free dressings and light mayonnaise in their salads.

"It is a personal preference on whether you eat heavier in the summer time -- some don't want the stove going but some find it easier to barbecue and have salads.

"People tie summer in to cold light foods like pastas, salads, fruits and vegetables.

"Frozen desserts can keep you cool but you want to go for your fat-free frozen yogurts and ice creams. People need to look at their recipes that they use in the summer and adapt them to use lower fat choices.'' Mrs. Baillie said there is a wide array of fat-free items you can use in the summer such as fat-free cool whip, fat-free sour cream, reduce-fat cheeses and cream cheeses.

"But the bottom line does come down to calories and you have to watch your portions.'' Tips for keeping cool: Apply Aloe to your skin.

Apply Limacol.

Use spray bottles with fans on them.

Use an umbrella.

Jump into the water.