These recipes featuring fresh produce aren’t just cooling, they can actually help you get enough water each day. Proper hydration is one of the mainstays of a healthy lifestyle — it’s essential for many bodily functions, including immunity, circulation, and temperature regulation. Good hydration improves sleep quality and mood, […]
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Proper hydration is one of the mainstays of a healthy lifestyle — it’s essential for many bodily functions, including immunity, circulation, and temperature regulation. Good hydration improves sleep quality and mood, notes the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. On the flip side, dehydration can cause unpleasant symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and decreased cognitive function, according to the Mayo Clinic. In severe cases, dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
To stay healthy and keep these negative health effects at bay, you can drink your way to good hydration levels — and what you eat matters, too. Foods that are high in water can help you reach your daily hydration goals. That would be 2.7 liters (L), or 11 cups, of fluid for women and about 3.7 L (16 cups) for men, per the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. More good news is that hydrating foods usually contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that further support overall health.
Top choices include watermelon, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, strawberries, grapefruit, lettuce, spinach, and zucchini, UCLA Health notes.
For inspiration on ways to enjoy juicy eats like these, check out the healthy recipes below.