Pet & Animal: How to Choose Foods to Keep You Hydrated

Monday, 28 April 2014

How to Choose Foods to Keep You Hydrated

Although drinking water is the best way to remain hydrated, you can re-hydrate your body by eating certain foods too. While some of these foods are offered only seasonally, you should be able to find a wide variety amongst the list.

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Consume cucumbers for the highest water content. Cucumbers contain approximately 96.7% water and are readily available during the summer months. Partner this veggie with yogurt or in a soup for a fresh variety.

Hydrate your body with an iceberg lettuce salad. Iceberg is 95.6% water so partner you salad with higher nutrient packed lettuces such as spinach or kale for the “perfect” lunch.

Get both water and nutrition with a stick of celery. Celery has 95.4% water but also vitamins A,C and K. Not to mention one stick of celery has only six calories--anyone can have their celery and enjoy it too.

Tantalize your taste buds with radishes. Radishes have a 95.3% water content and can spice up any dish or salad thanks to their half sweet, have spicy flavor.

Enjoy a hydrating snack like a tomato any time of year. Instead of reaching for a potato chip, try a grape tomato. Partner it with some cheese and basil, perhaps a cracker and you have the perfect afternoon delight. Tomatoes have 94.5% water so they are a great rehydrator.

Load up on antioxidants and water with a green bell pepper. Although red and yellow peppers contain water and are high in nutrients, green bell peppers have the most at 93.9% water content.

Fight chronic illness like cancer with cauliflower. In addition to having a 92.1% water content, cauliflower has phyto-nutrients, considered to lower cholesterol and fight cancer.

Stave off hunger with lycopene infused watermelon. Watermelon is known to be heavy on the water content (91.5%) but is also packed with lycopene, which helps you feel full for a longer amount of time and also is considered to be a cancer-fighting antioxidant.

Increase your fiber by eating water happy spinach. Spinach is 91.4% water but also is known to have some of the most important antioxidants available. Each one cup raw and you’ve covered 15% of your daily vitamin E intake.

Protect your heart by eating star fruit. In addition to having a 91.4% water content, star fruit contains epicatechin, also found in red wine, chocolate and green tea.

Eat your berries to re-hydrate. Strawberries have 91.0% and blueberries and raspberries contain 85%. Create a fruit salad and you have a great post-workout recovery snack.

Load up on vitamins with broccoli. Broccoli has fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, as well as sulforaphane--known to boost the body’s protective enzymes and fight cancer.

Eat grapefruit to give your diet that extra nudge, while flushing your system with water. Grapefruit has a 90.5% water content but is also known to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol by 15.5% and triglycerides by 27%. Grapefruit also stabilizes blood sugar, which curbs cravings.

Choose carrots for snacking instead of salty chips. Carrots are loaded with water (90.4%), plus are great for dipping into dressing or hummus.

Pass over the cake and cookies for dessert and go for some cantaloupe. Cantaloupe has 90.2% water and at only 50 calories, diners can get up to 100% of their daily vitamin A intake.