Table of Contents
You’ve probably heard over and over again that proper hydration is vital to your health. Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, causing other unpleasant conditions such as headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, and cramps.
But did you know that on average, about 20% of the daily water intake comes from solid foods, most notably fruits and vegetables?Apart from drinking water, there are top foods for hydration to enjoy too.
Beyond contributing to your health, they can also add to the amount of water you get in your diet.If you are a dieter, then hydration can even help you with losing weight, and that’s a promise!
We are going to list some of the top water-rich foods that will benefit your body greatly in keeping hydrated.
Best Foods For Hydration
1.Lettuce
Just one cup or 72 grams of lettuce will provide you with more than a quarter cup of water.With 96 % water content, Lettuce also has folate in, which makes it important for women who are pregnant – folate is known to help prevent neural birth defects.
Lettuce leaves contain health-giving amounts of vitamin K and vitamin A, both important for keeping the immune system healthy and the bones strong.
The combination of water and fiber to be found in lettuce makes it very filling for such a low number of calories – 10 calories to 1 cup of lettuce. Lettuce is ideal in salads and what would a burger be without scrumptious lettuce as its companion.
2.Cucumbers
Just looking at delicious cucumbers makes you feel cool and hydrated already. That is because they are made up of just about 95% entirely water.
They also provide small amounts of other nutrients like magnesium, potassium, vitamin K and have low amounts of calories too, when compared to other water-rich veggies. After all, there are only eight calories in a half-cup of cucumbers, and they are also so refreshing.
It’s no wonder they are famous for being eaten while attending power games like Wimbledon tennis! Cool cucumber sandwiches to strengthen and to refresh!
3.Celery
Celery is extremely healthy and hydrating for you to include in your diet, made up mostly 95% of water. One cup offers 118 ml of water.
4.Coconut Water
A beverage packed with health and hydration.
The reason coconut water is so beneficial for hydration is that it is so rich in water and electrolytes.
5.Tomatoes
We all know what a very impressive nutrition and health profile tomatoes provide. One medium-sized tomato will offer you 118 ml of water.
Tomato also has immune-boosting vitamins A and C in it. There are only 32 calories in 1-cup of tomato, and they are packed with fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants, including lycopene.
Lycopene has plenty of health benefits, and not least is its power to lower the risk of heart disease and also to prevent the development of prostate cancer. They are also so versatile, easily cooked up in soups, sauces and added into salads.
6.Zucchini
A nutritious vegetable with several health benefits. 1-cup offers more than 90% of water.
7.Watermelon
Watermelon is an extremely healthy fruit, and one of the most hydrating foods around. Just one cup of this delicious thirst-quenching fruit contains about 118 ml of water.
At the same time, you are adding fiber to your diet and other important nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and magnesium too. And talking of hydration for losing weight, well, the watermelon provides you with only 46 calories per cup.
That’s because it has so much water in it, with a low-calorie density. Foods with lower calorie densities are known to help with weight loss. They promote a feeling of fullness, reducing appetite.
8.Broths and Soups
Both soups and broths are usually water-based, which makes them highly potential for hydration and weight loss. In fact, the bone broth diet is such a popular eating plan, combining the principles of the Paleo diet and intermittent fasting.
Participants in one study who had 2 low-calorie soup servings a day managed to lose 50% more weight compared to other participants who ate the same number of calories from snacks.
Fans of the bone broth diet swear by its effectiveness in terms of weight loss, with added benefits such as skin health, benefiting joint function, and health. And there’s no need to measure calories either.
You can incorporate these hydrating soups and broths into your lifestyle, just 1-3 servings of bone broth a day. Have the broth alongside a diet which is eating whole, unprocessed foods for five days a week, and you will see the weight fall off.
If you are interested in following the bone broth diet, remember that grains, gluten, soy, dairy, and sugar should also be avoided. The other two days remaining days of the week, drink only the hydrating bone broth.
Proponents of this way of dieting claim that the bone broth diet results in rapid weight loss and improves gut health and decreases inflammation. There are, in fact, many studies found where consuming soup before your main meal helps you eat fewer calories.
9.Bell Peppers
More than 90% of the weight of bell peppers comes from water. They are extremely low in calories, providing 46 calories per cup (149 grams).
10.Cauliflower
Cauliflowers are very nutritious and hydrating. One cup, 100 grams, provides more than 59 ml of water.
11.Cabbage
Eating cabbage is such a healthy veggie, it will help you with many aspects of your health, and that includes hydration. This is due to its water, nutrient, and antioxidant contents.
12.Strawberries
Strawberries are very hydrating because they have such high water content. Not only that, they offer you plenty of fiber and also disease-fighting antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, and that includes folate, manganese, and vitamin C.
Strawberries are also known to reduce inflammation, and they do a good job of protecting you against diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers too. Who doesn’t find it easy to add strawberries to the diet? – All you have to do is blend them to turn them into delicious smoothies.
13.Skim Milk
Skim milk is highly nutritious, filled with vitamins and minerals. Just a few spoons dropped into a glass of water will give you heaps of nutrients, helping with overall hydration.
You will be amazed at how greatly it rehydrates you after you have been involved in strenuous exercises. Studies show that skim milk helps people to stay hydrated after workouts, comparing much more positively to sports drinks, and even plain water.
It is because skim milk has life-giving electrolytes in them and protein content too, all helping to replace the loss of body fluids, so necessary to stay hydrated.
14.Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes are melons, and they are highly nutritious, boosting your health in quite a few ways. Just one cup of this hydrating fruit will give you 118 ml of water already.
That same cup will give you 2 grams of fiber, providing you with a fullness to reduce your appetite. Cantaloupes are also rich in vitamin A.
15.Oranges
The orange is one incredible fruit, highly healthy and nutritious, supplying you with plenty of liquid refreshment. A glass of orange juice contains 118 ml of water, plus fiber and nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium, all of which are ready to stimulate the immune system.
Oranges are also rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and flavonoids for fight inflammation. Oranges commonly consumed can prevent kidney stones by the action of citric acid that binds to calcium oxalate to eliminate kidney stones.
16.Plain yogurt
Plain yogurt contains a lot of water. One cup, a 245-gram serving is made up of more than 75% water.
17.Grapefruit
Grapefruit is an exceptionally healthy citrus fruit. In half a grapefruit (123 grams), there is close to a half-cup (118 grams) of water, which contributes to a really decent amount of water to your daily hydration needs.
It also contains enzymes known to help burn fat that make it a superfood for weight loss. As more energy is needed to digest this fruit, you will burn more calories as well. It also provides you with plenty of protein,folic acid, vitamin C,and potassium.
18.Cottage cheese
You might find it hard to believe, but did you know that around 80% of the cottage cheese you eat – that 80% of its weight comes from water. So enjoy your cottage cheese, mixing it with fruit, as a spread, or for salads, etc.
Soft skin, excellent health with water-rich foods, veggies, and dairy
19.Radishes
Originally a vegetable that is often neglected, radishes have a 95 percent water content, making them ideal as a crunchy snack or salad ingredient of any kind.
20.Pears
Pears are soft and sweet with a lot of water content and soluble fiber. If you’ re thinking about losing weight, pears can help you stay fuller long enough. They can also lower your cholesterol levels while helping to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease.
Although drinking water is essential, it is a good idea to consume a good amount of the colorful variety of water-rich fruits, vegetables, and dairy products in your diet.
It is the reason, too, why most people don’t necessarily have to drink a lot of water. Because as long as you are eating plenty of foods for hydration and drinking water when you feel thirsty, you won’t have a problem staying hydrated.