By: Cambria Glosz, MS, RD
As the days get longer and the temperature gets warmer, it becomes more and more essential to focus on staying hydrated. Although hydration is undeniably important year-round, we are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of dehydration during summer months, as the hot and humid weather combined with more time spent outdoors increases our loss of body fluids through sweat. Starting with headaches and fatigue in its early stages, and progressing to rapid heart rates, low blood pressure, and, eventually, organ failure in its later stages, dehydration is not something to be taken lightly.
While we all know the best way to stay hydrated is by drinking water, there are plenty of other tasty ways to ensure you’re getting enough fluids. Other than good ol’ H2O, healthy and low-sugar options for staying hydrated include:
- Coconut water
- Fruit-infused water
- Sparkling water
- Sparkling Vitamin C
- Herbal tea
- Broths or bone broth
Keep in mind that both caffeine and alcohol can dehydrate you further, even though some of these beverages, like coffee, tea, and beer, do contain water. Because these drinks are diuretics, meaning they increase your urine output, we’d recommend drinking more water on the days you imbibe. You know the rule — one glass of water for each alcoholic drink!
Moving along from beverages, there are also various foods that are filled with water. While we’re not recommending you get all of your fluids from food, these water-rich fruits and vegetables can be a great way to boost both your nutrition and your hydration status all summer long. Let’s take a look at the top five hydrating foods:
- Watermelon: The name says it all! Watermelon is 92% water, making this fruit even more perfect for summertime picnics, BBQs, and pool days. Just one cup of this sweet fruit contains over one-half of a cup of water!
- Strawberries: At 91% water by weight, these berries are the perfect summer snack. Not to mention, they are one of the best fruits to make your water taste — and look — refreshingly fancy.
- Celery: Despite its sometimes-bland taste (it is almost all water, after all, at 95%), celery is an excellent vehicle for creating yummy snacks — hand over the peanut butter!
- Zucchini: A highly versatile vegetable (looking at you, zoodles), the 94% water content of zucchini creates the highest water level of any “pasta” we’ve ever had.
- Cucumbers: Another vegetable made up almost entirely of water, at 95%, cucumbers are a tasty snack or addition to your fruit-infused water, creating perfectly refreshing spa vibes
With this list of hydrating fruits, vegetables, and beverages, you’ll be set for staying hydrated all summer long. Remember that feeling thirsty is already a sign of dehydration, so try to get ahead of your fluid intake by loading up on water first thing in the morning — then you can feel free to have the more ‘fun’ drinks as the day goes on. Cheers to that
Another way of sprucing boring water and staying hydrated this summer is by adding our Sparkling Vitamin C. It is packed with nutrients to support immune health while also keeping your electrolytes in check on a hot summer day. Check out our three refreshing flavors here.