Beat Dehydration: 5 Juicy Foods to Keep You Hydrated
Once again, it’s been a sweltering summer in the United States. According to The Weather Channel the first half of the summer 2024 was the hottest on record for more than 30 cities around the country. If you’re an athlete who loves to train outside, that heat is making it even harder. Typically you make yourself wake up early or train after the sun goes down when it’s this hot, but even that’s getting hard to do too. In fact, there was a stretch of three nights in Las Vegas where the temperature didn’t dip below 94 degrees.
At a minimum, men should be drinking around 15.5 cups and women need around 11.5 cups of liquid a day.
It’s exhausting training in that kind of weather, especially if you’re not properly hydrated. Men should be drinking around 15.5 cups and women need around 11.5 cups of liquid a day. Athletes need far more than that. If you’re one of those people who is always googling, “How can I drink more water,” good news! The food you eat contributes to about 20% of your hydration needs. I’m rounding up some of the foods highest in water content to help keep you hydrated during the hottest of heat waves.
Grapes: At about 80% water, grapes are chock full of potassium, a nutrient most Americans aren’t getting enough of. A low potassium intake is associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Increase that potassium intake and you’re looking at a lower risk of stroke. Stick them in the freezer for a frozen treat after a workout, 1 cup will have around 30 grams of carbohydrates.
Yogurt: Clocking in at 85% water, yogurt is the perfect pint-sized snack, and your bones will love you for eating it. Each serving of yogurt has around 150 mg of calcium. Calcium is so critical to our health that our body will literally remove calcium from our bones to maintain normal blood calcium concentrations when intake is low. Yikes! With carbs, protein, fats and six essential vitamins and minerals, I might actually name yogurt as a superfood.
Cantaloupe: Ok, ok. I know it’s not everyone’s favorite. I see cantaloupe get pushed aside all the time when it’s in a fruit salad. However, cantaloupes are about 90% water, packed full of potassium and 1 cup meets about 80% of your vitamin C needs for the day. Add it to a recovery snack plate with some prosciutto or jerky to get in some carbs and a salty protein.
Broccoli: I know our fruits and vegetables have a high water content, but this one had me by surprise. Broccoli is around 90% water. While you don’t need to munch on broccoli before or after exercise, it’s a great addition to a performance plate with its antioxidant and healthy gut properties like vitamin C and fiber.
Cucumber: We’re all eating cucumbers these days. Just ask Logan Moffitt. Cucumbers will definitely contribute to your fluid intake for the day since they’re 96% water and can help replace potassium losses. This crisp and crunchy veg is a refreshing snack when eaten with some hummus or ranch dressing and crackers or try them on a sandwich for an extra crunch in place of lettuce. But if you've been following along with Logan, you know there’s much more creative ways to eat them.
Staying hydrated can be a chore, but you certainly don’t need a motivational water bottle telling you it’s time to drink more H2O. Start snacking on high-water content foods! And, if you need some extra help with staying hydrated while exercising, reach out to schedule a free phone call to see how I can help! Looking for more tips and recipes? Make sure to follow me on Instagram where I’m always sharing dishes I’m whipping up.
