July is hot, and possibly the easiest time of year to dehydrate. Knowing which ingredients to eat alongside your daily dose of water helps maximize your body’s energy levels and nutrition, and lets you enjoy more of your best summer. Here are ten ingredients to help conserve your body’s water, to stay hydrated and balanced longer in this season of heat.
Lettuce – Just a leafy garnish for your burger? Not anymore! Lettuce is rich in water, providing an edible addition to your body’s general H2O intake. Try it in a salad, or as a tasty lettuce wrap around your favorite filling, washed down with water for double the hydration!
Celery – Celery is high in silicon, and good for the joints. Cartilage, low in blood cells, cushions our joints. Blood cannot carry nutrients through cartilage, because cartilage itself is not composed of blood cells. It thus becomes our body’s water supply, which nourishes our joints. Eating more celery increases the amount of silicon in the body, making its nutrition more easily accessible, and lessening the workload on the body’s water sources. Ease up on your body, chomp on some celery, and keep those joints limber!
Brown Rice Protein – During the summer time, the water in our bodies scurries about relieving the symptoms of dryness and mucus production that the season’s allergens produce. Brown rice protein reduces allergens in the body, leaving your body’s water free to hydrate you in different ways.
Carrots – These crunchy orange veggies keep your digestion on track. They’re high in vitamin A, which benefits the immune system and clears the skin. With healthy digestion and immune systems, the water necessary for aiding problems in those areas can be redirected elsewhere. So, get your healthy glow on, and carrot up! Ever tried carrot juice? It’s delicious!
Blueberries – Bursting with antioxidants, a handful of blueberries reduces cell damage in the body, lowering your risk of future cancers. Healthy cells use the water in your body more efficiently, and therefore sustain your hydration longer. Try these sweet treats on their own, in a salad, or baked in a muffin. Yum!
Cucumbers – Cucumbers are diuretics that flush out your system and prevent waste water from reabsorbing back into the body. Keep your body running on fresh fuel. Try some cucumber sliced up for a crunchy and fresh beach-time snack! Alternatively add some cucumber to your juice for a refreshing thirst-quencher.
Beets – Deep in color and taste, beets clean the blood and benefit the liver, the body’s main detoxifying organ. Toxin-free, we stay hydrated longer. So beet out those toxins, for a fresher, clearer you.
Garlic – A real heart-healthy treat, garlic is an herbal bulb that improves blood circulation through nutrition. Healthy circulation keeps the body’s operations smooth, reducing strain on our hydration supply. Try some on date night, because you know what they say… two garlic mouths cancel each other out…
Spinach – This leafy green rich in vitamin A builds and cleanses the blood. Clear blood means a more effective body system. Try sautéing spinach in some extra virgin olive oil for some extra inflammation reduction!
And above all else…
Ionized Water – Resulting from an electrolysis-induced non-neutral pH, studies have shown that ionized water better balances the body’s natural pH and better sustains cellular hydration. Bring some in a water bottle on a hike for fresh, cool relief.
Eat smart with foods full of nutrition, conserve your body’s water this summer, and have fun longer!
To keep your body regulated this summer, we recommend considering a juice cleanse. This will help remove toxins from your body that could prevent you from performing optimally in summer heat.
