Eat Your Water

For Phoenicians, or anyone living in hotter environments, a good rule of thumb is consuming at least 1 gallon of water per day. One way of drinking this quantity is to keep water with you all the time, taking smaller sips (don’t try and drink it all at once!) or using a straw. If you get into the habit of sipping regularly, you’ll be surprised just how easy it is to get your daily intake.

Another great way to supplement you plain water intake is to “Eat you water”. Many foods can provide substantial amounts of your water intake and can make it more fun to meet your water levels. Fruit and vegetables can provide large amounts of water. Have a look below to get an idea just how much some water fruit and vegetables contain:

Water content of various fruit & vegetables

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Watermelon 92%

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Pineapple 87%

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Strawberry 92%

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Raspberries 87%

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Grapefruit 91%

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Cranberries 87%

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Apricot 86%

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Celery 96%

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Cantaloupe 90%

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Cauliflower 87%

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Zucchini 95%

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Sweet peppers 92%

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Green tomato 93%

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Red tomato 94%

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Radish 95%

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Iceberg lettuce 96%

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Cucumber 96%

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Spinach 96%

Things that can create dehydration

The below items actually work against your daily intake, so should be either avoided, reduced, or replaced with an increased level of water consumption.

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Caffeine

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Alcohol

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Diuretics

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Sugary Drinks

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Food High In Proteins

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Salty Food

The reason many of those “healthy” looking drinks are bad is the amount of sugar in them. Others have caffeine, a known dehydrator, so these should only be consumed in limited levels. For example, drinking more than 200-300 milligrams of caffeine—the amount in two to three cups of coffee—has been shown to lead to dehydration, if not followed up with drinking water throughout the day.

Foods which are processed or high in sugar, or any with caffeine or alcohol in them are also not good for helping you stay dehydrated. While we’re not saying you should stop eating or drinking these items, we would caution you to exercise moderation.

We should all drink at least 1 gallon of water per day – I know for me drinking it in smaller portions with a reusable straw makes it easier to get accomplished daily. There will be days where drinking a gallon of water is not necessary, again a time to listen to your body. If you find, for example, you are eating fruits and vegetables that are high in water then you might not need to drink a full gallon of water. If you know you have a planned activity outside in heat, it is always better to hydrate the day prior. It is never good to play catchup when you are already dehydrated…you won’t catch up.