With warmer weather approaching, it’s more important than ever to stay hydrated. From your hair and skin to your whole body from the inside out, without hydration, it will quickly take its toll on both your appearance and how you feel. We’ve put together the top 10 ways to stay hydrated to keep you healthy throughout summer without sticking to water all day long.
Ways to Stay Hydrated
1. Drink Water
It may be obvious, but it’s very easy to forget to drink plenty of water every single day, especially when you’re busy. Aim to drink 8 cups of water each day and if you fancy a change, read the best drinks for dehydration later on.
2. Eat Fruit
Fruits such as watermelon and strawberry consist of a high volume of water. Eating these will both quench your thirst and take the edge off hunger, giving you a healthy energy boost.
3. Eat Bananas
Even though bananas don’t hydrate you directly, they have another benefit which will help you get the most out of the other fruits. Containing high levels of potassium and magnesium, they help to regulate fluids in the body.
4. Enjoy Soup
Eating soups will help you to boost your hydration levels whilst also providing your body with nutrients. Chicken noodle soup and other broth-type soups are best. Try to eat soups containing vegetables too for even more effective results.
5. Eat Vegetables
Similar to fruit, a large variety of vegetables have high water content. Enjoying broccoli, celery, radishes, cucumber, cauliflower and other vegetables will provide your body with many nutrients alongside hydration.
6. Have Iced Treats
Eating ice lollies and other iced treats won’t provide a lot of hydration, but they will help to keep the throat moist and keep you from becoming dehydrated as easily. You could either buy some or even make your own.
7. Avoid Alcohol
As nice as it is to enjoy a cold one whilst sat out in the sun, alcohol dehydrates the body. If you still want to have a drink or two, make sure to have a glass of water for each alcoholic drink to avoid becoming dehydrated.
8. Consume Sea Salt
Even though the common belief is that salt will dehydrate you, natural sea salt can do wonders for hydration. It will help your body to retain water by slowing down the absorption process, helping the body to use all of the nutrients and minerals.
9. Snack on Yogurt
Plain, low-fat yogurt contains 89% water, making it a better snack than drying, carb-based option such as crisps. By eliminating hunger pangs and helping you to maintain healthy hydration levels, yogurt is a great way to stay hydrated.
10. Use Chia Seeds
Chia seeds have hydrophilic properties, meaning that they’re attracted to water. They absorb 9-12 times their weight in water, making them great hydrators. Add some to water or into smoothies and enjoy.
Best Drinks for Dehydration
If you're starting to feel dehydrated, some drinks are better than others at re-hydrating. We've put together a list of some of the best drinks for dehydration below.
- Water
- Coconut Water
- Fruit Smoothies
- Sports Drinks
- Milk
- Coffee
- Flavoured Water
- Tea
How do you stay hydrated during the summer months? Let us know over on Twitter: @Mankindcouk
If you liked this post, you may also like our guide on why you should wear sunscreen.