Hydration is the most important thing for our body to function properly. Keeping our fluid levels up is important for our body functions to function normally. Our blood, which carries oxygen and nutrients to cells, and our kidneys, which take out waste, are dependent on our hydration. A well-hydrated body also ensures joint mobility, smoothness of our eyes, digestion in top shape and healthy, glowing skin. Fluids also help regulate body temperature and in a hot environment like ours, this is important. Water lost through sweating, urination and exercise needs to be replaced as even a slight drop in hydration levels can lead to serious consequences.
Read also: 7 Delicious Drinks to Help You Stay Hydrated in Monsoon
The human body can survive for 3-4 days without hydration. You know you need to tank when symptoms like headache, lethargy, poor concentration, dry mouth and highly colored urine appear.
While water is the best hydration, there are many other ways to get enough fluids.
How to keep body hydrated:
1. Fruit Water
Adding fresh fruits like orange slices, strawberry slices or lemon rings to your water bottle boosts the nutritional quotient by adding all the goodness of the fruit. Vitamin C, antioxidants, flavonoids, minerals like potassium, help hydrate thoroughly.
2. Spice Up
Adding a spice to your water to taste gives your drink all its health benefits. Fennel improves digestion and prevents acidity, cumin helps with flatulence, coriander seeds help with hypothyroid symptoms and ajwain helps in overall digestion.
3. Soup
Both cold and hot soups made from fresh vegetables are a good way to increase the fiber content of the vegetables and stay hydrated. Taken between meals, it helps control excessive intake of calories while providing essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. The taste of tomato and cucumber soup is very cool.
4. Vegetable Juice
Specially blended, add in hydration with all the goodness of the vegetable. So, a spinach juice adds antioxidant, beta carotene, as well as vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant. Carrots add biotin, potassium and vitamin A and beets add potassium, folate and manganese.
5. Dairy
Alternatives like skimmed milk, chaas, lassi – all of them enhance health. While not calorie-free, the nutrients they add to your daily meals are essential. Protein, calcium, polyphenols, phosphorus and, when you choose the fortified version, vitamin D. When fermented to make yogurt or yogurt, you also add probiotics that are important for gut health.
6. Coffee and Tea
These are perfect liquids when taken in moderation. Both add antioxidants. In fact, green tea has been proven to add a lot of health benefits to our daily diet. Both green tea and black tea are rich sources of catechins and theaflavins, respectively. Coffee is a rich source of flavonoids that show strong antioxidant activity.
7. Fresh Traditional Drinks
Kanji, bael ka sherbet, aam panna, sattu, and rice/ragi kanji are a great way to hydrate. They have been proven to be beneficial for gut health which means better immunity. Rich in antioxidants, these drinks also exhibit cooling properties in our body. The only catch is that one must limit added sugars.
8. Summer Fruits and Vegetables
They are filled with fluid. Ghiya, Zucchini, Tinda all have very high water content and add liquids to our food. Fruits like watermelon and melon are 90% water. They may not be “liquids,” but these whole fruits and vegetables also hydrate the body.
Sodas and commercial fruit juices, energy drinks are also hydrators but the catch is that they are loaded with sugars. High in calories and free of nutrients, soda is not a good substitute for hydrating. Fruit juices that are prepared commercially also contain sugar and do not add to the nutrition. Making fresh fruit juice is a better option.
This summer and throughout the year, think about hydrating well beyond water. As a rule, our body’s fluid requirement is 35 ml- 45 ml/kg per day; Make sure you drink healthy drinks and choose the right food.