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According to nutritionists, eight to 10 glasses of water is what you need to drink everyday. But, what if we tell you that you can just eat it? Yeah, you can totally do that because there are foods that have the power to replenish fluid intake in your body and can keep you hydrated.
There is no denying that nothing can replace good old water. But, it is also important to include certain water-rich foods in your diet to nourish your body with other minerals and vitamins.
According to M Saroja Nandam, senior dietician, Apollo TeleHealth, our water intake has a massive effect on our health. It has an impact on energy intake, weight, human performance and functioning.
“Being hydrated is important as it regulates body temperature, keeps the joints lubricated, prevents infections, delivers important nutrients to cells, keeps the organs functioning properly, improves sleep quality, brain functioning, and mood”, she says.
But, if you’re someone who keeps forgetting to drink up the 8 to 10 mandatory glasses, or think you want more taste to your hydration, we have some suggestions for you.
Here are six hydrating foods that you can eat to keep your water levels up:
1. Cucumbers
The coolest of all is cucumber. It contains 96% water and is a great source of potassium. Along with this goodness, it also contains phosphorus, magnesium, and a small amount of calcium. You can include it in your salad, make a refreshing smoothie, or can consume it solo. Trust us, including this will also help your skin and hair heal.
2. Tomatoes
It might be shocking for a few of you but it is true that tomatoes have about 95% water content. Apart from that, they are rich in fiber, vitamins C and K, folate, and potassium.
“We must add tomatoes to our daily diet to keep us energetic and hydrated. It is a very healthy ingredient without which our salads are incomplete”, Ms Nandam says.
3. Zucchini
Do you know that zucchini is also called summer squash and it contains 92.73% water? Moreover, it contains manganese, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, and K, and fiber which will help in keeping our gut health in check.
If you don’t like to eat it raw, you can half boil it and include it as a part of your daily food intake. You can also chop it and boil it with a bowl of dal to make it interesting.
4. Carrots
This one is another water rich food you can look out for given its 88.5% water content.
5. Spinach
It is not just water-rich but is also loaded with iron. Adding baby spinach leaves in a salad adds some crunch to it. BTW, spinach has 91% water content! Plus, it is loaded with antioxidants that can help is better retention of water in your body, helping your deal with dehydration.
6. Broccoli
“It may not be the first food that comes to mind when people think of hydrating foods, but this cruciferous vegetable is almost 90% water. It contains several different antioxidants and is also a source of fiber, iron, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin K”, she explained.
This one also helps in detoxing by flushing toxins out of your body naturally.
Yes, there are many more foods that are water-rich but these are the ones that have most of the goodness.
So, now there is no need to just depend on a glass of water to stay hydrated. You have umpteen options by your side.
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