Staying hydrated in the summertime warmth could be difficult, however it’s additionally essential. In spite of everything, roughly 50% to 60% of your physique weight is water, and dropping an excessive amount of of it may well result in fatigue, dizziness, and different dehydration signs. We frequently give attention to what to drink to remain hydrated (with plain water being the apparent selection), however the way to keep hydrated isn’t nearly drinks. What you eat can considerably enhance your hydration too. Actually, an estimated 20% or extra of our every day water consumption comes from meals. Which means incorporating hydrating meals into your summer season weight-reduction plan may also help you meet your fluid wants whereas additionally offering nutritional vitamins and electrolytes.
Kellie Lunday, MS, RD, LD, and AFPA’s Diet Content material Lead, shares: “If I’m slacking on my water consumption throughout the summer season, I do know that my summer season produce has my again! It’s the right time of 12 months to give attention to my vegetable and fruit consumption, with the additional advantage of hydration.”
On this article, we’ll discover a few of the most hydrating meals to take pleasure in throughout summer season, clarify how these meals with excessive water content material help your physique’s fluid steadiness, and supply recommendations on together with hydrating vegetables and fruit in meals. From juicy watermelon (ever surprise how a lot water is in watermelon?) to crisp cucumber (spoiler: it’s virtually all water), these meals could make staying hydrated straightforward and scrumptious. Let’s dive into the way to get hydrated and keep that means utilizing nature’s personal refreshing substances.
Hydration Is Extra Than What You Drink
When the solar is blazing, it’s straightforward to gulp down a chilly glass of water. But many individuals battle to drink sufficient fluids all through the day. Perhaps you overlook to sip repeatedly or don’t really feel thirsty till you’re already considerably dehydrated. The excellent news is that you may make up a few of the distinction with meals. Consuming water-rich meals basically helps you to “drink” by way of your meals. It is a helpful technique, particularly for individuals who discover it difficult to drink sufficient water every day.
Our our bodies continually lose water by way of sweat (particularly on humid summer season days), in addition to by way of respiratory and urine. For those who’re not replenishing these losses, you threat dehydration. And dehydration isn’t only a minor inconvenience—it may well sap your power and even impair temper and focus. Whereas what to drink to remain hydrated ought to nonetheless be a precedence (plain water, natural iced teas, and different low-sugar drinks are nice decisions), keep in mind that meals that hydrate you’ll be able to contribute considerably to your every day wants. Actually, a balanced weight-reduction plan can present as much as about two cups of water per day simply from meals. Consuming the really helpful every day servings of vegetables and fruit (for instance, two servings of fruit and three of greens) would possibly offer you roughly 15 ounces of water – that’s practically a pint of fluid simply from produce!
Hydrating meals are notably useful when you’re lively or spend a whole lot of time exterior in summer season. They not solely provide water but additionally usually include fiber, electrolytes, and antioxidants. This mix helps your physique soak up and use the water successfully. In different phrases, munching on meals that assist with hydration can really be extra environment friendly at rehydrating the physique than water alone in some circumstances. Subsequent time you’re enthusiastic about the way to enhance hydration on a sweltering day, don’t simply attain in your water bottle – head to the fridge as nicely.
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Juicy and Refreshing: Hydrating Fruits
In terms of fruit for hydration, nature has a knack for packing water into candy, transportable packages. The hydrating fruits of summer season are usually not solely scrumptious but additionally loaded with water. A standout instance is watermelon.
As its title suggests, watermelon is generally water – about 92% water, to be actual. For those who’re questioning how a lot water is in watermelon, think about every chunk as virtually all water with a little bit of vitamins. No surprise consuming watermelon on a sizzling day feels so satisfying. It’s like consuming water, however with the bonus of taste, nutritional vitamins A and C, and the antioxidant lycopene. So is watermelon good for dehydration? Completely. Watermelon is among the finest meals for hydration you will discover, because it helps quench thirst and replenishes you with minerals (like potassium) on the identical time.
“Slice it up for a snack, mix it right into a smoothie, or toss it with some mint and feta for a hydrating summer season salad. With watermelon on the menu, the way to keep hydrated turns into a much more fulfilling endeavor,” says Kellie Lunday, MS, RD, LD.
Watermelon isn’t the one fruit that may make it easier to beat the warmth. Actually, many widespread fruits are made up of 80-90% water or extra. Strawberries, for instance, are about 91% water, they usually supply a burst of vitamin C. Cantaloupe and honeydew melons rival watermelon with round 90% water content material as nicely. Oranges and grapefruit, these juicy citrus fruits, are round 86-88% water – and as a bonus, they supply electrolytes like potassium. Peaches, pineapples, and apricots are different fruits good for hydration, every brimming with watery juice. Grapes are about 81% water.
Normally, if a fruit is plump, juicy, or simply yields liquid once you chunk into it, it’s seemingly a watery fruit that may assist preserve you hydrated. These fruits not solely ship water to your system but additionally provide pure sugars to offer you fast power and fibers that make it easier to really feel happy.
One perk of selecting hydrating fruits is that they usually attraction to the urge for food even when the warmth would possibly uninteresting your want for heavier meals. A chilly slice of melon or a bowl of berries could be extra engaging than a wealthy meal when the temperature soars. To maximise hydration from fruits, take pleasure in them uncooked and recent – suppose fruit salads, smoothies, or simply entire fruits eaten as snacks.
Freeze grapes or mix watermelon right into a slushy for a cooling deal with. By making fruit part of each summer season meal, you’ll naturally enhance your fluid consumption. The sugar in entire fruit comes with fiber and water, that means it’s usually digested extra slowly and hydrates you with out the extra excessive blood sugar spike you’d get from a sugary drink. However each physique is completely different, and it is best to seek the advice of with a health care provider who is aware of your distinctive well being wants, notably if in case you have metabolic issues.
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Crisp and Cool: Water-Wealthy Greens
Greens could be simply as spectacular as fruits within the hydration division – in some circumstances, much more so. The greens for dehydration reduction are usually the crisp, watery ones you would possibly discover in a summer season salad or crudité platter.
Take the cucumber, as an example. Ever questioned what share of cucumber is water? It’s about 95% water (some sources say as excessive as 96%!). That makes cucumber one of the crucial hydrating meals on the planet. Crunching on a cool cucumber stick is nearly like sipping water, and it comes with a pleasing crunch in addition.
Cucumbers are so water-based that they’ve earned the nickname “water greens.” Moreover water, additionally they present just a little vitamin Ok and potassium, particularly within the pores and skin. Attempt including cucumber slices to your consuming water for taste, layering them in sandwiches, or mixing diced cucumber into yogurt with mint for a refreshing raita. It’s an ideal solution to enhance hydration whereas having fun with a tasty snack.
Lettuce is one other unsung hero amongst meals with excessive water content material. Iceberg lettuce, usually maligned for being much less nutrient-dense than darker greens, is definitely over 95% water – mainly a crunchy car for hydration. Romaine lettuce isn’t far behind, at about 95% water as nicely.
So sure, that huge summer season salad filled with lettuce, cucumber, and tomato is doing double responsibility: feeding you and hydrating you on the identical time. Talking of tomatoes, they clock in round 94% water. Chew right into a ripe tomato and you may virtually really feel the juice hydrating your mouth. Cherry tomatoes make a simple hydrating snack on the go, and slices of tomato in your sandwich add moisture (and vitamin C).
Different water-based greens to place in your grocery checklist embody celery (about 95% water), zucchini (round 94% water), radishes (95%), inexperienced bell peppers (94%), and even cauliflower and cabbage (each round 92% water).
These percentages aren’t simply trivia – they clarify why these veggies really feel so gentle and crisp. For instance, celery sticks or bell pepper strips on a sizzling day could be as thirst-quenching as a handful of grapes. They’re basically stable water with bonus vitamins like folate and antioxidants. Actually, meals that hydrate you comparable to cucumber, lettuce, celery, and others are sometimes referred to in diet guides because the “superstars” of water-rich meals.
To include extra of those hydrating greens into your summer season weight-reduction plan, get artistic with meal prep. Begin lunch or dinner with a salad loaded with high-water-content veggies (cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, and so forth.). Swap out widespread sides for water-rich veggies – for instance, serve dip with carrot and cucumber sticks as a substitute of crackers.
Chilled soups like gazpacho or cucumber-yogurt soup are mainly blended greens you can sip, delivering hydration in a flavorful kind. Even steaming or calmly sautéing greens retains a lot of their water (although you’ll lose a bit to cooking). The bottom line is to have loads of these water greens available, pre-washed and lower in your fridge, in order that they’re simply as straightforward to seize as a bottled drink. By making veggies available, you would possibly naturally eat extra of them all through the day, effortlessly boosting your hydration.
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Past Produce: Different Hydrating Meals and Drinks
Fruits and veggies steal the highlight once we discuss hydrating meals, however they’re not the one choices. Many different on a regular basis meals have a excessive water content material and might contribute to your fluid consumption. For instance, yogurt and cottage cheese are about 80-85% water, so a serving of yogurt at breakfast not solely provides you protein and calcium but additionally an honest quantity of water.
On a sizzling morning, a bowl of plain Greek yogurt topped with juicy berries (suppose hydrating fruits like strawberries or peaches) makes for a hydrating, nutritious begin to the day. Smoothies are one other unbelievable solution to drink your meals – mix water-rich fruits (berries, melon, mango) with some yogurt or milk and ice, and also you’ve bought a hydrating snack or meal in a glass. Even milk itself is about 90% water and incorporates electrolytes, which is why analysis has discovered it may be as efficient as sports activities drinks for rehydration in some circumstances. If dairy isn’t your factor, plant-based milks like almond or oat milk additionally contribute fluid.
Don’t underestimate the hydration energy of soups and broths. A steaming bowl of soup may not be your first craving in summer season, however you’ll be able to go for chilled variations like gazpacho or fruit soups. And even heat hen broth can hit the spot. One of many conventional advantages of consuming hen broth once you’re dehydrated (comparable to throughout sickness or after intense sweating) is that it gives not solely fluid but additionally sodium and different electrolytes. These electrolytes assist your physique retain the water you drink and might alleviate signs of dehydration like headache or muscle cramps.
Sipping broth or consuming soup replenishes salt losses and helps you get hydrated extra successfully than water alone in sure conditions. Simply be conscious of soup’s temperature; if it’s very popular exterior, a lukewarm broth or cooled soup might go down simpler than a piping sizzling one.
Talking of what to drink to remain hydrated, keep in mind that plain water isn’t the one selection. Unsweetened natural teas, iced or sizzling, are one other nice possibility. Coconut water (the liquid from inside younger coconuts) has change into a preferred pure rehydration drink as a result of it incorporates potassium and magnesium – it’s a refreshing choice to rotate into your fluid plan. Even average quantities of espresso or tea contribute to hydration; opposite to fable, caffeinated drinks are usually not dehydrating when consumed in regular quantities.
Briefly, the way to keep hydrated in summer season comes all the way down to a mixture of sensible consuming and sensible consuming. Make water your go-to beverage all through the day, however bolster its results with a weight-reduction plan wealthy in meals that assist with hydration. By doing so, you’ll provide your physique with water steadily and keep away from dehydration signs. Plus, you get the opposite advantages of these meals – vitamins, fiber, and taste – all of which help total well being.
Suggestions for Incorporating Hydrating Meals into Your Summer time Eating regimen
Figuring out which meals and drinks can preserve you hydrated is one factor; really becoming them into your every day routine is one other. The excellent news is it may be each easy and scrumptious. Listed here are some sensible, the way to keep hydrated suggestions utilizing meals:
- Begin early: Start your day with hydration in thoughts. Drink a glass of water upon waking, but additionally embody a water-rich meals at breakfast. As an illustration, have a bowl of oatmeal cooked with milk and prime it with hydrating fruits like sliced peaches or berries. Or make a morning smoothie with spinach (sure, leafy greens comprise water too), frozen fruit, and yogurt. This manner, you front-load fluids and vitamins to begin the day.
- Snack sensible: Swap dry, salty snacks for recent produce. Hold a container of cut-up watery fruits (watermelon cubes, pineapple chunks, orange slices) within the fridge for straightforward entry. Child carrots, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber sticks paired with hummus or a lightweight dip are much more hydrating than crackers or chips. They’ll fulfill your crunch craving and provide water. For those who really feel like one thing candy, frozen fruit pops (made 100% from fruit puree) and even only a chilly apple can refresh you.
- Salad and soup fixes: Make it a purpose to eat a salad or a vegetable-rich dish not less than as soon as a day. Bear in mind these water-based greens – lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and so forth. – and cargo them up. Add juicy fruits to salads too; strawberries or citrus segments can flip a boring salad right into a hydrating summer season delight. While you want one thing extra substantial, contemplate a broth-based soup with greens. Even in summer season, a lightweight vegetable soup or a calming gazpacho is usually a hydrating meal or starter. And when you’re feeling adventurous, attempt chilly soups made out of blended melon or cucumber; it would shock you the way nicely they cool you down.
- Hydrate when lively: For those who’re exercising or doing outside actions, plan for each foods and drinks. For instance, after a sweaty tennis match or a protracted hike, munch on a bit of watermelon or a handful of grapes together with consuming water. The pure sugars in fruit may also help pace up water absorption in your physique, and the act of consuming might encourage you to additionally drink extra. Some athletes even swear by snacks like oranges or bananas throughout exercises for the hydration enhance. Discover what works for you – it could possibly be so simple as packing an apple or some child carrots in your bag when you recognize you’ll be out for some time. These meals that hydrate you could be actual lifesavers on a sizzling day.
- Make it enjoyable and flavorful: One purpose individuals don’t drink sufficient water is that they discover it boring. Hydrating meals may also help by including taste and selection. However you can even jazz up your fluids with meals: attempt infusing your water pitcher with cucumber slices, lemon, and a sprig of mint, or drop in some berries for pure taste. You could be shocked how far more you sip. Likewise, contemplate having fun with glowing water with a splash of fruit juice, popsicles made out of diluted juice, or hydrating food-packed smoothies.
“With so many versatile produce choices this time of 12 months, I ensure that to deliver a hydrating dish to any summertime festivity. We are able to all benefit from the celebration with a bit of additional hydration in our meals or drinks,” says Lunday. The takeaway is that rising hydration doesn’t must be a chore. By pairing water with tasty meals and making these meals available, you set your self up for achievement.
Keep Cool and Hydrated with Meals and Drink
Summer time is a time to benefit from the outdoor, absorb the solar, and have enjoyable – however it’s additionally a season when dehydration can sneak up on us if we’re not cautious. Happily, staying hydrated is usually a scrumptious endeavor. By embracing essentially the most hydrating meals – from hydrating fruits like watermelon, oranges, and berries to water-rich greens like cucumber, lettuce, and zucchini – you give your physique a gradual provide of water all through the day. These meals make it easier to keep hydrated not simply with fluid, however with vitamins that help your power and well being.
So, the subsequent time you’re planning a menu or packing a snack for a day within the solar, take into consideration how one can embody some meals that assist with hydration. Your physique will thanks for it. Bear in mind to drink water repeatedly, but additionally benefit from summer season’s bounty of hydrating produce. With the proper steadiness of hydrating meals and fluids, you’ll keep refreshed, energized, and able to profit from the summer season season.
Reviewed by
Kellie Lunday, MS, RD, LD
Kellie Lunday is AFPA’s diet content material lead and a registered dietitian with practically a decade of expertise in company wellness, well being schooling, and efficiency optimization. She acquired her MS in Diet from Texas Girl’s College and accomplished her dietetic internship at The College of Texas in Austin. Beforehand, she has labored in varied roles at Exos and the College of Texas at Austin. She is keen about journey, world cuisines, health, and advancing shopper well being by way of evidence-based schooling.
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