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13 Hydrating Foods to Eat to Boost Your Water Intake

13 Hydrating Foods to Eat to Boost Your Water Intake

Your body requires H2O to perform at its peak, and 60% of the body’s total volume is made up of water. Everything from digestion and body temperature to your energy levels and your appetite is affected if you don’t get enough. Not to mention the health of your skin and nails is dependent on water as well. Plus, our bodies constantly emit water through breathing, sweating and urination. So it’s vital that we replenish our body’s water supply throughout the day.  But does that old rule of thumb to aim for eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day really stand the test of time? Not exactly. Those 64 ounces are a solid place to start in terms of what you drink, but this varies a bit based on your body size and gender. The National Academies of Medicine recommends 15 ½ cups (125 ounces) of fluids for men and 11 ½ cups (91 ounces)  of fluids a day for women. That’s “fluids,” though, not just water. So tea, sparkling water and even the hydrating foods below can help you hit your mark. Think of those eight glasses as a starting point, then build from there to ward off dehydration with these water-rich foods.  13 Hydrating Foods to Add to Your Menu About 80% of the average American’s daily water intake usually comes from beverages, while the other 20% or so comes from foods, reports the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Here are some of the most hydrating foods on the planet, plus a healthy recipe idea to put each to delicious use. Bonus: Since these hydrating foods include such a high volume of water, they’re all naturally satiating. Another benefit to water.  RELATED: 7 Healthy Ways to Hydrate Without Drinking Water 1. Cucumber Water content: 96%  In addition to being wildly low in calories (30 calories per medium cucumber) and one of the very best hydrating foods, cucumbers are also a good source of potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin K and vitamin A. For all these reasons and more, research suggests that this salad star and dip vehicle can offer anti-aging and anti-wrinkling benefits. Try this hydrating recipe: Cucumber Salad with Chickpea, Tomato and Broccoli Rabe  2. Iceberg Lettuce Water content: 96%  Yes, iceberg does have nutritional value! And it’s a super-hydrating food, too. Beyond helping with overall hydration, iceberg lettuce has fiber, potassium, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin K, all while being very low in carbs and calories (10 calories for ⅙ of a medium head of lettuce). Try this hydrating recipe: Roasted Chicken Lettuce Wrap (with Iceberg Cups) 3. Celery Water content: 95%  Speaking of low-calorie and under-appreciated vegetables, it’s time for celery to get its moment in the spotlight—beyond celery juice. (That’s fine, by the way, but it does strip off some of the fiber and won’t deliver on all of the health claims social media influencers might lead you to believe.)  Celery is low in calories (15 for 2 medium stalks) yet high in vitamin K, vitamin A, folate and potassium.  Try this hydrating recipe: Celery and Tomato Gazpacho 4. Tomatoes Water content: 95%  One of the most versatile fruits on the planet—try them in salsas, soups, salads, roasted, grilled and beyond—this hydrating food is rich in fiber, folate, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K and cell-protective lycopene. In fact, tomatoes are the main source of dietary lycopene for Americans. Each medium tomato has about 25 calories. Try this hydrating recipe: Cherry Tomato Salad with Feta RELATED: 13 Foods a Nutritionist Always Has in the Fridge  5. Romaine Lettuce Water content: 93%  Closely trailing behind iceberg in the lettuce race for most hydrating salad base, romaine wins for providing more nutritional benefits. In general, the darker the green, the more vitamins the leaves pack in. With just 15 calories per 1 ½ cups of shredded romaine, this vegetable delivers a lot of bang (water, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and vitamin A) for your calorie buck. Try this hydrating recipe: Romaine Goat Cheese Hazelnut Salad  6. Zucchini Water content: 93%  Ideal for stuffing, as a spaghetti substitute (zoodles for the win!), in soups, stir fries and more, each medium zucchini has just 40 calories plus a healthy dose of fiber, manganese, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. Two of zucchini’s starring antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, may help protect you from environmental free radicals that can damage the body’s DNA.  Try this hydrating recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Roasted Halibut  7. Cauliflower Water content: 92%  If cauliflower can be steak and pizza crust, we don’t have to extoll its virtues. But you can—and should—eat more of this hydrating food. Cauliflower has just 25 calories for ⅙ of a medium head, along with vitamin C, vitamin K and other key essential nutrients that may help reduce risk for cancer and lower total cholesterol. Try this hydrating recipe: Buffalo Cauliflower Bites  8. Bell Peppers Water content: 92%  Take your pepper and stuff it! Or saute, stir-fry, scoop it into dips … you get the point. Just eat them early and often, as this hydrating food (25 calories per medium pepper) is remarkably nutritious. Rich in fiber, B vitamins, potassium, carotenoids and even more vitamin C than citrus fruits, peppers can help support a healthy immune system, strong bones and iron absorption.  Try this hydrating recipe: Quinoa Stuffed Pepper  9. Cabbage Water content: 92%  While you might stroll on by the cabbage stand at the farmers market or grocery store, or perhaps save it for coleslaw season only, it’s time to make this hydrating food a regular part of your diet. You can roast it, stuff it, shred it or sneak it into casseroles. It’s also a great substitute for any other leafy green, if you like. This cruciferous vegetable has just 25 calories for 1/12 of a medium head, and it offers a good amount of fiber, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and compounds called glucosinolates, which may help protect against certain types of cancer. Try this

Should You Drink Water While Eating?

drink water during meals

Ask Keri: I’ve heard it’s a bad idea to drink water while eating. Is this true? Keri says: Hydration is one of my favorite topics, and I encourage you to be sipping on H2O as often as possible—that includes water during meals. Read on to find out about the basics of digestion, the three most common myths about drinking water or other liquids during a meal, plus the benefits of drinking plenty of H20. How Digestion Works As you likely know, digestion starts in the mouth. As soon as food enters the mouth, it signals to the salivary glands to produce saliva. Within saliva are enzymes which start breaking down the food to make it easy to swallow. The food then travels down to your stomach and gets mixed with gastric juices that break it down even more. The next stop is the small intestine where digestive enzymes from your pancreas and bile from your liver enter the process. The food is broken down even further, readying the nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. 3 Myths of Drinking Water While Eating The misconception that you should skip fluids while you eat comes from some flimsy theses. Here we take a look at three of the myths surrounding drinking water with a meal and the science that debunks them. Myth 1: It Hampers Your Digestion There are claims that drinking water while eating can affect your digestion by diluting the acid and digestive enzymes your digestive tract uses to break down food. That, they claim, can prevent your body from absorbing nutrients properly and lead to bloating. RELATED: How to Stop Bloating in 5 Easy Steps But that theory is not supported by research, and even if we did find out there was some truth to it, the benefits of drinking water during meals would far outweigh that effect. (More on that later!) Myth 2: It Negatively Affects Saliva Production Water isn’t the only liquid claimed to affect digestion. Some people argue that drinking acidic drinks, such as alcohol, with meals dries up your saliva, which in turn makes it tougher to digest food. While it’s true that alcohol does decrease saliva flow, it’s the higher alcohol concentrations found in hard liquor that are mostly responsible for this. There’s no scientific evidence that a glass of wine or beer with dinner (when consumed in moderate amounts, of course!) will negatively affect digestion. Myth 3: Liquids Speed Up Stomach Emptying This argument claims that drinking water or other liquids with meals will ramp up the rate at which food is moved through your digestive tract. This is thought to cut down on the time the food comes in contact with stomach acid and digestive enzymes, thus leading to poorer digestion. While this sounds feasible, the truth is that liquids have no effect on solids in the digestive process. While liquids obviously do pass through the digestive tract quicker than solids, studies have shown they don’t impact the digestion speed of food and how quickly it empties from your stomach. Benefits of Drinking Water While Eating Now that we’ve dispelled the three major myths surrounding drinking water and other liquids during a meal, let’s dig into the benefits of drinking while eating. Here we go: Water Aids Digestion Not only does drinking water with a meal not hinder digestion, it actually helps it. Water (and other liquids) help break down food so your body can better absorb the nutrients you’re eating. Water Helps Prevent Constipation Drinking water with your meal helps to move food through your digestive tract smoothly and softens your stool. So your water intake could actually prevent bloating and constipation. Score! Water Helps Curb Weight Gain Research has shown that water during meals can help curb weight gain by preventing overeating. (We’re talking about a couple glasses; don’t get so excited that you start chugging from that Swell bottle pre-dinner.) RELATED: Does Drinking Water Lead to Weight Loss? Finishing off a glass while you wait for your steak salad to show up? It turns out, that may cause you to feel full sooner. In one study, adults who drank water right before digging into dinner lost more weight than those who didn’t. Other studies have shown that stopping for sips slows down the speed at which you eat, causing you to eat less overall. Eating at a slower speed allows you to check in with your hunger signals and usually makes a meal more enjoyable. And we all know enjoying what you eat is a big part of maintaining a sustainable, balanced diet. Drinking Water Before, During and Between Meals: The Bottom Line Finally, did I mention I LOVE talking about the overall importance of hydration? Drinking enough water throughout the day is associated with weight loss, improved moods and energy, and better skin. With all that going for it, it definitely makes sense to keep it up before, during, and between meals. More Reading Feeling Dehydrated? Here’s How to Hydrate Like a Boss (Image: Shutterstock)

The Easiest Way to Prevent Wrinkles Naturally

prevent wrinkles naturally

Trying to prevent wrinkles? Bad news: even if you’re slathering on sunscreen three times a day and are being super careful about getting enough sleep, if you’re eating the wrong foods, you’re not doing your skin any favors. But there’s good news, too: Eating the right foods can prevent wrinkles and even reverse (yes, reverse!) signs of aging. In fact, your diet is the. most. important. factor when it comes to aging gracefully. In this video, I’m sharing three nutrients you should include in your diet every single day, and which foods you can find them in. Hey, restocking your fridge is way easier than scheduling millions of appointments with your dermatologist, right? Start fighting fine lines (and embrace the ones you can’t!), now. How to Prevent Wrinkles Naturally, With Food

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