6 reasons why you need to hydrate yourself with natural food

Water is one of the main ‘nutrients’ present in all the edible foods. While some foods, for example  nuts like almond and cashews contain very little water content (6-8%), vegetables like cucumber contain 95% water. 

We require hydration daily as we lose water through perspiration, breathing, urine and bowel movements. Below are 6 main reasons why we need to hydrate ourselves with natural food – 

1. Water has multiple functions – Right from being part of blood, enzymes, hormones to aiding in various metabolic processes like digestion, excretion and so on, water has multiple roles in our body. In order to maintain the electrolyte balance, we need to replenish ourselves with a minimum of 2 liters daily – this includes plain water and through foods with high water content.
2. High moisture low calories – Generally foods with high moisture content are low on calories. A very good example is cucumber – one medium size has 90% water and just 4 calories. Hence if you are looking to lose weight, including vegetables with high moisture content is the right choice.
3. Protect against heat – Summers are the time when the dehydration risk is high. Apart from drinking water, fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, and mangoes are good choices for giving hydration, minerals and phytonutrients. Vegetables include – lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, watercress. Buttermilk, curd, milk are other choices especially during summers.

However, do remember that tea/coffee are not included in this list since they are diuretics and cause water loss from the body.

1. For detox – foods with high water content help in proper bowel movement and prevent constipation. Such foods also have a good fiber content which helps to eliminate toxins and keep our gut healthy.
2. To maintain body temperature – some leaves like mint leaves, buttermilk with spices and ragi ambali have a cooling effect on the body. They can protect against the harmful effects of sun stroke.
3. Rich in phytonutrients – fruits and vegetables with high water content are also rich in phytonutrients and bioactive compounds like flavonoids, anthocyanins etc which are antioxidants and help to prevent inflammation in our body.

How to include water rich food in our diet – 

1. In the form of salads
2. By ensuring to include 5-6 servings of vegetables daily
3. By consuming 2 servings of fruits daily – in the form of a snack in the evening or as a midmorning snack.
4. Including season specific foods like – aam panna, buttermilk, kokum juice, nannari juice etc
5. By ensuring that you include local and seasonal foods in your diet.