Staying hydrated is vital for good health.
Actually, you can get dehydrated if you do not drink enough water. The symptoms being headaches, fatigue, skin issues, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, and a fast heart rate. If you prolong dehydration, it can lead to more serious health problems, such as organ failure.
Dieticians and doctors normally would tell you that you need to drink eight glasses of water per day. But let us be real, that might not be possible. Luckily, you can also get your daily water needs from food.
Here are five fruits, filled with water.
1 Strawberries
Strawberries have a 91% water content. This high water content makes them a great hydrating food to add to your diet. In addition to the fact that strawberries can contribute to your daily water intake, they are also a good source of fiber, and antioxidants that can fight-off diseases, but also vitamins and minerals, such as folate, vitamin C and manganese.
Research has also shown that consuming these sweet fruits on a regular basis could aid to reduce inflammation that can help protect your heart, and reduce your risk for diabetes, Alzheimer’s and different cancers.
You can add strawberries in your smoothies, add them to your salads, or top your morning oats off by adding a few. So next time you see some fresh strawberries, get some. They are a great source of water, but are packed with nutrient that is good for your health.
2 Watermelon
What is a summer without a watermelon? Yes, we all know this – watermelon is a super source of water. In fact, 1 cup of watermelon contains a half a cup of water. That is not all. Watermelon is also a good source of fiber, and important nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and magnesium. They are a good source of powerful antioxidants such as lycopene. Research has shown that this compound can reduce your risk for heart disease and diabetes, as they reduce oxidative damage to cells.
Watermelon is also great for those that want to watch their weight, as this fruit is very low in calories. Plus, they will fill you up and reduce your appetite, so you will not over eat and keep to your diet plan.
Dieting or not, add this yummy fruit to your meal plans, by adding it to salads, or just eat it as a snack. Not only will you get a good portion of your daily water in, but also you will fill your body with nutrients that can reduce your risk for chronic illness.
3 Cantaloupe
Another great fruit to bite into is cantaloupes. About one cup of fruit contain 50% water, which means that two serving of fruit is equal to one glass of water.
Besides its high water content, cantaloupe is also very nutritious. One cup of this fruit will give you 2 grams of fiber. This is great for dieters, or those that just want to maintain their waistline as fiber with water will promote fullness and thus reduce the cravings. Plus, they are a good source of vitamin A, which can boost your immune system to help you protect against infection.
To get the benefits of cantaloupe, add them to your salads, smoothies, or the best, just slice them up and enjoy.
4 Peaches
Peaches can be another source of water. They contain around 90% of their weight in water. But they are also nutrient-dense. Packed with potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and B vitamins that are necessary for a healthy diet. And as you are relishing on this fruit, you are adding disease-fighting antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid to your diet which will benefit your skin and hair.
So add peaches to your diet, but adding them to your after gum smoothies, or in salads. The best is that they are super low in calories, with only 60 calories in a medium sized peach.
5 Oranges
A must for winters to fight off viruses, oranges contain almost a half a cup of water per fruit. Nevertheless, they are also a good source of fiber, and vitamin C and potassium. Oranges are also packed with disease-fighting antioxidants, as well as flavonoids and anthocyanins, which may avert cell damage by decreasing inflammation. The means not only are oranges a good water source, they can boost your immune system and protect your heart. In addition, they can protect against kidney stones, since the citric acid in oranges bind with the stone-forming calcium oxalate and then pass them through your digestive system.
To get the benefits of oranges, add them to your diet by jouncing them, add oranges to your salads or just peel and bite into them as a snack.
The bottom line
Which fruit you enjoy, eat them. They will hydrate you and give you valuable vitamins and minerals.