Everyone knows that water is the best way to rehydrate your body. Water has zero calories, and it’s the most accessible and affordable liquid that you can reach for firsthand in order help you stay hydrated. The human body is also made up of 60% water, thus every system depends on water in order to function properly.
Water is also essential in keeping your skin, hair, and nails clean and healthy. It’s also needed in controlling your body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate.
While nothing beats a tall glass of water, there are plenty of alternative options if you’d like to hydrate with other flavors.
Below are some of the alternatives you can choose from that can help you stay hydrated.
1. Healthy Sports Drinks
After every exercise or workout session, you usually crave for water to fill you up after releasing tons of sweat. But it’s also a good idea to replenish your electrolytes after a hard workout. With that, you can consume healthy sports drinks as an alternative to water. These sports drinks contain plenty of sodium, sugar, and electrolytes that can bring balance back to your body way faster than water. The only issue is that most of these drinks contain a high amount of sugar that might not be processed as quickly when you’re only doing short workouts. Thus, sports drinks are best recommended to athletes or people who do frequent and intense workouts that last for over 90 minutes.
For an alternative to sports drinks, an oral rehydration solution (ORS) can be a good choice. This drink also has sodium, glucose, and even vitamins, making it reach your bloodstream faster than standard water, thus replenishing your electrolytes within a short time. An oral rehydration solution isn’t just good for workout sessions, but can also be beneficial if you’re experiencing a hangover and when you’re feeling sick.
2. Hydrating Food
If you think that liquids are the ones that only have the power to hydrate your body, you’re wrong. There are plenty of great fluid-filled food that can help you stay hydrated. Some of these are as follows:
- Fruits and Veggies
Most fruits and vegetables have very high water content—some can even be up to 96% water. You have to eat them raw to achieve this benefit because its natural water evaporates when cooked. After all, lots of hydrating food are best eaten raw. Some of the healthiest fruits that are rich in water are watermelons, cucumbers, grapefruits, strawberries, and cantaloupes. You can also add green leaves in your diet such as lettuce, celery, tomatoes, and carrots.
- Soup
Another hydrating food option that you can have is soup. It’s an excellent way to increase your water intake and energy levels, and is an essential starter to a main course that’s best served hot. Rather than opting for a creamy soup, choose a clear one to start your meal with.
- Oatmeal
Classic oatmeal is already known to be very hydrating. While being cooked, these oats expand as they absorb the water or milk that they’re being paired with. Moreover, oatmeal can keep you full all morning, and you can serve it with various options such as added fruit toppings or chia seeds to make it tastier.
3. Herbal Tea
Tea is 100% water, but it’s mixed with herbs, thus making it another option for hydration. It’s much better to consume tea without any sugar in it so you can taste its herbal benefits.
While most tea variants such as oolong, black, green, and white tea are caffeinated, there are herbal teas that don’t have caffeine—a compound that has diuretic effects, which might affect your hydration. Some examples of herbal teas are hibiscus, chamomile, and rose tea. Not only will these types of tea help hydrate you, but they’re also beneficial for when you want to relax and calm your nerves.
4. Smoothies
If you’re up for a fun and enjoyable way to rehydrate yourself, smoothies can give you that. You can choose from a variety of fruits that are rich in water such as oranges, watermelon, pineapples, peaches, and apples. Add water and ice into these healthy fruits and mix them all in a blender for a tall, cold glass of smoothie. Not only are these nutritious and tasty, but they’re perfect during the hot weather, too.
You can also make vegetable smoothies with carrots, cucumbers, parsley, spinach, and kale if you’re looking for greener options.
5. Milk
Milk can actually be a great substitute for water. It’s rich in calcium, which is much needed by your bones, and it also keeps your hydration levels up all day. In case you didn’t know, milk is also a great post-workout drink, and might even be a better option than sports drinks as it can help your body recover faster after an intense workout session. Make sure to choose a fat-free milk since the fat content can delay fluid replacement.
For other options, you can also consume milk by mixing it with your bowl of cereal, or by just drinking it in a glass. Milk also has other benefits such as helping you relax before sleeping at night when consumed warm.
6. Coconut Water
Unlike sports drinks, coconut water has low carbohydrates but is rich in potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium. It’s also a perfect beverage to serve on a hot summer’s day. While unsweetened, coconut water still has a pleasant taste. It’s best served cold, and you can choose to retain some of the coconut meat in your drink.
Takeaway
The standard eight glasses of water every day might not be suitable for your body, especially if you’re constantly working out or are engaged in activities that can cause you to sweat a lot. If you’re constantly releasing fluids from your body, and it’s essential to replace them now and then to prevent dehydration. Staying hydrated doesn’t only prevent confusion and fatigue, but it also provides other benefits such as healthier skin, as well as cleaner kidneys and other internal organs.
If there’s one thing that your body can’t live without, even for a couple of days, it’s water. So, make sure you’re getting more than enough every single day, that Help You Stay Hydrated.