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

These Are the Fruits and Vegetables In Season During Summer

Berries, corn, tomatoes, and so much more!

How to Become Slim and Still Enjoy Summer BBQs

When it comes to striking a balance between having the body you want and oh, that thing we call enjoying life, many people get stuck in a conundrum: how to become (or stay) slim and still have F-U-N. One of the reasons so many people end up being yo yo dieters is because they feel they have to give up their social life (and for that matter life) in order to drop a few lbs. A little FOMO later, they throw in the towel. But there is a better way. I promise. Learning how to incorporate healthy eating without sacrificing your life is KEY to long term success, and happiness! No matter what is being served, who you’re with, and where you are, you can make good food choices – or at least the best possible choices for the given situation. Once you learn how to do this, you’ll finally be able to answer the question of how to become slim and still maintain a social life. And, you’ll be living proof you know what you’re talking about. Many of my clients find the summer in particular to be the most challenging time of the year to eat clean. Friday nights scream for happy hour Rose, Saturday afternoons are synonymous with lobster rolls and chips and guac and Sundays become decadent Fundays before you’ve finished your first bloody. This year, let’s do things a little differently.   How to Become Slim and Still Enjoy Summer BBQs Have a filling food before you go. I always say “ruin your appetite” – eat a snack that provides satiety so you don’t get to the BBQ famished. And don’t “hold out” !  NOT eating all day in prep of a big BBQ is the worst thing you can do. You’ll slow down your metabolism and end up eating fast and furious, likely consuming double the calories of what you would have had you just eaten regular meals throughout the day. Two slices of fresh turkey or an apple with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter can go a long way pre-partying. Assess the situation when you arrive. Sometimes your whole attitude going in can make or break your cocktail party/BBQ experience… If you see spinach dip when you walk in you may think (even subconsciously), “It’s all over, there’s nothing healthy here, I might as well go hog wild…” Then you notice chicken skewers, shrimp cocktail, crudités. Be patient. Check out the scene. You can usually pull together a perfectly proportioned meal in what appears to be the most indulgent scenario. How does a plain burger with pickles and grilled veggies, crudités and an ounce of cheese sound? Hold out on the first drink when you arrive. Try to skip that first drink and grab a glass (or Solo cup) of water instead. When you’ve downed your first beer before you’ve even said hello to your hosts you’re probably off to an overindulgent night. You’ll end up consuming too many calories from alcohol and the alcohol will most likely cause you to consume too many calories from food. Slow down. Hydrate. Sip. And, then have a glass of water between each drink. Fill your plate one time. Have you ever gone back for thirds? I bet if you’d filled your plate one time with 6 ounces of meat you probably would have been satisfied. But going back 3 times for 3 ounce portions somehow is barely satisfying you. Take a serving of meat, chicken or other vegetarian protein that is being served (bbq chicken or fish is usually the leanest option) and then fill the rest of your plate with the healthiest options available such as grilled vegetables, roasted corn, tomato slices, pickles and salad. Enjoy what you put on your plate and then be done. Stop and go enjoy the people (not the food!) around you. Be prepared at home. Have you ever been really “good” and drank seltzer at a cocktail party, nibbled on crudités, had a bite of a chicken skewer and then gotten home and ATTACKED THE REFRIGERATOR? Often we make the mistake of thinking “I already ate” when our belly is still truly hungry. So, you begin picking and picking and you’ve soon you’ve consumed 1000 calories of who knows what from your refrigerator and pantry. Make sure to have a mini meal ready for when you get home if you’re going to a party where you won’t eat a “real” meal. It can be as simple as sliced turkey and frozen vegetables or chickpeas sautéed with olive and spices and tossed over bagged lettuce. So there you have it. Learning how to become and still keep your summer weekends jam packed with BBQs is all about being prepared before you go, making the best choices while you’re there, and setting yourself up for success when you get home. Happy bbq’ing.  

3 Incredible Benefits of Coconut Oil

Just like we can’t remember a time pre smart phones, it’s almost hard to remember the days when the benefits of coconut oil were singular – a killer tan – and the only way we ate coconut was in the form of a colada or candy bar. We used to be afraid of fats in general and coconut has the – dare we spoke of –  saturated fats.  Fortunately, we smartened up and learned that some fats are healthy. And, then, we got even smarter and learned that even some saturated fats are healthy. While coconut is high in fat, the type of fat in coconuts is a good form of saturated fat, medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Plus, many coconut products found in grocery stores today are not the same as the coconut products used in the past that were highly processed and/or loaded with sugar. Today, there are more pure and healthier options available. So, no, you can’t run out and grab a Mounds bar for your snack today, but you definitely should be stocking your pantry with loads of other coconut products. A breakdown of the coconut The white part, or meat, of the coconut is what gives us coconut oil and milk. When the meat is soaked and pressed, the liquid that comes out is coconut milk. Coconut oil also comes from the meat – it is extracted from the meat either by pressing or by using chemicals. Famous as nature’s sports drink, coconut water is the liquid found inside the coconut. 3 Incredible Benefits of Coconut Oil 1. It’s good for your heart Coconut oil is full of saturated fats and is solid at room temperature like butter or cheese. Normally, if a fat is solid at room temp, we think of it as more likely to be solid in your blood, which is generally linked to raising your bad cholesterol and increasing risk for heart disease. Not so in this case, so don’t get scared. One of the benefits of coconut oil is that the saturated fats help raise your good, HDL, cholesterol and lower triglycerides, helping to protect your heart. Remember, coconut oil has a similar calorie and fat count to olive oil. One tablespoon has 122 calories. I’m no calorie counter, but you can’t ignore this completely. You’ll want to replace other fats, like butter in baked goods or on toast or use in a stir fry instead of another oil. But, don’t go putting coconut oil everywhere with a heavy hand. It’s still easily over consumed. 2. Coconut aids in weight loss Another benefit of coconut oil is that it can help with weight loss because it provides satiety like other fats. In other words, it helps you feel satisfied. The MCTs in coconut oil are also readily used for energy versus being stored as fat like other types of fat. I always recommend a little bit of fat at every meal to help you feel full and for the health benefits. Again, just remember to swap out another fat, don’t just add this in. 3. Coconut is anti-bacterial One of my other favorite benefits of coconut oil is that it’s loaded with lauric and caprylic acid, both of which have antibacterial properties. These compounds play a role in preventing acne, boosting immune function and fighting infection. Lauric acid converts to monolaurin in the body helping to kill bacteria. On the skin, monolaurin creates a protective layer helping to fight acne. When buying coconut oil look for organic and cold pressed. Cold pressed means that no chemicals have come in contact with your oil. When buying milk look for organic, not from concentrate. You also want to read the ingredients list and make sure there are no flavorings or added sugar.