Hydration Matters
The most common rule to stay hydrated is to drink lots and lots of water. Many say the guideline is to consume eight 8oz glasses, which is also known as the 8×8 rule. While this may be a good baseline to start, many other factors can increase or change the amount needed. These factors include personal diet, weight, height, stress, environmental area temperature, humidity levels in the air, and how active one is at the time. If the concept of the “8×8” rule sounds too intimidating, don’t stress yet. You can follow some simple tips to help you stay hydrated.
Fruits and Vegetables
Your water drinking is not the only way to get your body what it needs to stay hydrated and function more effectively. Many fruits and vegetables like cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, watermelon, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, lettuce, peppers, radish, zucchini all contain over 90% water. Others such as carrots, raspberries, pineapples, peaches, grapes, apples still contain over 80%. By adding more of these fruits and veggies each day in your diet, you will help provide your body with some of the needed daily water. Another more common trendy option is to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your daily routine with the use of fruit-infuser jars or water bottles.
Water doesn’t have to be boring and tasteless. Try infusing your water with fruit, herbs, and other flavors can make it much easier to reach your daily goal. Try adding cucumber, strawberries, blue berries, lemons, limes, and experiment with fresh herbs to create flavorful combinations in your water.
Additional Beverages
Although drinking pure water will help hydrate your body faster, sometimes we can grow tired of it. Beverages such as coffee, teas, lemonades, and sports drinks are all water based and can provide your body with some hydration. Yes, these do have ingredients like sugars and unwanted calories also, but when used in moderation they can be very effective in refueling the body. Consider carbonated and sparkling water in addition to regular water. Many people find that adding sparkling water and zero calorie flavored water makes drinking water throughout the day more fun. Find yourself drinking lots of expensive sparkling water? Consider buying a Sodastream and make your own delicious sparkling beverages at home.
Soups
There are many low-sodium soups, beef broths, and chicken or vegetable stock varieties that can be a great way to keep your body hydrated while also having a hearty meal. Most of these soups will include some of the vegetables listed above but can be used more as larger dinners and will have a wider range of recipes to keep your diet well balanced. Check your labels to see what is in the soups!
Not sure if you are hydrated? There are many hydration tools available to calculate the amount of water you should be drinking. Check the apps on your phone. One can be also be found at Camelbak.com.
Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink water! This means your body is already dehydrated. Carry that water bottle with you throughout the day!
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