5 foods to keep you hydrated

Water is the essence of life; we ourselves are made up of between 50 to 75% of the stuff, but with every breath it’s slowly released from our bodies.

Topping up our water levels is essential in keeping us healthy and reducing the headaches that can be brought on by dehydration but we needn’t only drink it.

Doctors recommend that men intake 3 and women 2.2 litres of water daily and there are many delicious ways we can bring water into our bodies through the food that we eat, and it may even bring some other benefits too.

1. Cucumber

With the highest water content of any food, containing a staggering 97% of water, the cucumber is one of the easiest ways to ‘eat’ your water throughout the day. They also contain fibre and vitamin C which can reduce bloating.

Recipes

Always easy to add to a salad but can get a bit stale. Cucumber can be great in dips, soups and smoothies or if you can’t get enough of plain old water, add a few slices to your glass.

2. Tomatoes

The tomato, be it cherry, plum or beef is already a mainstay in many of our diets. At 94% it’s a great way to raise your daily water content. They’re also filled with lycopene which can improve heart and bone health as well as studies showing it may also prevent numerous cancers including prostate, lung and stomach.

Recipes

As versatile as they are tasty, the tomato can be a simple and delicious snack and also a foundation to many soups and sauces, try this healthy tomato soup or these great tomato and basil skewers.

 3. Spinach

At 91% water, there are better examples of high water content foods – including the more popular iceberg lettuce – but it’s the additional benefits that make spinach a great addition to any diet. High in vitamin A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B6 as well as folate, iron and even more, there are many benefits in adding spinach into you meals.

Recipes

Replace lettuce on salads or sandwiches with spinach or sneak it into your diet in a surprising way with a delicious banana and spinach smoothie

4. Watermelon

No surprise that the watermelon is bursting in H2O with 92% of it being water. The other benefits including asthma prevention and reducing high blood pressure and like tomatoes they are also filled with cancer-preventing lycopene. The watermelon is a fantastic source of water and its benefits increase considerably when it is left to completely ripen.

Recipes

Fantastic on its own but if you’re looking for something different you could try a watermelon slushy or the delicious honey-grilled watermelon caprese salad

5. Yogurt

Not happy with only containing 88% water, yogurt is also a fantastic way to bring calcium and vitamin D into our bodies. Choosing a product containing active cultures will also introduce probiotics that can help with digestion and as we dehydrate we purge electrolytes and the potassium and sodium contained will replace them and reenergise our bodies.

Recipes

Add strawberries which are also bursting with water and you’ll be too busy enjoying it to even realise you’ve reached your daily water intake.

Do you have any favourite water-filled foods?