How The Foods You Eat Can Help You Stay Hydrated

June 28, 2021

How The Foods You Eat Can Help You Stay Hydrated

Around 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, falling short of officially recommended amounts. Being dehydrated can lead to a host of health issues - including headaches, fatigue, weight gain, and joint pain. If you suspect you may be dehydrated, a blood test can quickly give you the results you need. The good news is that even if the results aren’t as you hoped, dehydration is easy to reverse. By drinking the recommended amount of water and seeking some of your water quotient from the foods you eat daily, you can stay at the top of the hydration game. Having cool accessories such as colorful reusable vapur anti-bottle, meanwhile, can help you stay motivated and ensure you're doing your share to reduce the big problem that single-use plastics are posing to the world’s oceans and to human health.

How Much Hydration Do You Need?

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommends that men consume around 15.5 cups (or 3.7 liters) and women consume 11.5 cups (or 2.7 liters) of fluid daily. This amount needn’t only hail from water; in fact, around 20% of your daily fluid intake usually comes from food. If you don’t generally feel thirsty and drinking is a chore, you should take time to calculate how much hydration you need to obtain from food. For instance, if you're a woman who drinks two liters of water, you can aim to consume a full additional liter from a combination of moisture-rich fruits and vegetables, milk, juice, herbal tea, or any other combination of liquids.

Hydrating Foods

Just a few of the world’s most hydrating foods include watermelon (containing a 92% water content), strawberries (90%), cucumbers (a whopping 96%), celery (95%), mushrooms (92%), and iceberg lettuce (95.64%). An easy shortcut to obtaining hydration from these foods is to make a fruit smoothie (using, for instance, freshly squeezed orange juice and strawberries), or to consume foods like celery and mushrooms in a raw state (since cooking will reduce their moisture content). While making precise measurements of exact amounts is close to impossible, you can make educated guesses - for instance, by jotting down the volume taken up by a serving of diced watermelon. The amount of fluid contained in a cup of water, for instance, will be close to a full cup, so you can toss in a few more pieces to equate your fruit consumption with the hydration afforded by a cup of water.

Upping The Fun Factor

Those who are into desserts can motivate themselves to stay hydrated by creating healthy desserts such as fruit kebabs dipped in melted raw chocolate, raw apple pies, and shaved ice treats. One shortcut budding chefs can employ is to use an ice shaver for creating smooth ice in a few seconds. There are many models to choose from, with some making beautiful snow cones in as little as three seconds. To increase the moisture content of a shaved ice treat, top your shaved ice with a scoop of ice-cream or condensed milk and sprinkle with raw chocolate or coconut flakes. You can also make your own fruit syrup using fruit, sugar, and a little water. For a strawberry syrup, combine one cup water, one cup white sugar, and 2 ¼ cups of strawberries in a pan, boiling on medium heat for around 11 minutes, and then simmering for a further 10 minutes.

Water Consumption Needs Vary From Person To Person

Some people stay hydrated despite consuming a little less than required amounts. In general, if you rarely feel parched and your urine is light in color, your body may be telling you that it is as hydrated as it needs to be. On the other hand, people who are very active (like athletes) may need to drink and consume more hydration than sedentary individuals, and should always keep a BPA-free bottle close at hand for before, during, and after exercise. A rule of thumb many athletes follow is to divide their body weight in half and consume/drink at least one ounce per pound of body weight. They can then adjust this amount depending on the intensity of their workout and the temperature of the area where they are exercising. Athletes can make hydration more appealing by bringing containers with mixed fruit, which will provide them with energy as well as moisture so they can give their all during their workouts.

The vast majority of Americans are dehydrated. In order to meet recommended hydration requirements, people can consume a blend of hydrating foods and water. They should also aim to stay motivated by upping the fun factor with fashionable and eco-friendly foldable water bottles, treats such as smoothies, and impressive looking desserts such as shaved ice and homemade syrup.