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Hydrating Foods: Foods to Eat to Help with Hydration
We all have the best intentions with our water intake. You may be great at getting your water in each day, or you may need a little help remembering to stay hydrated. Either way, it's a daily task to remember to stay hydrated and avoid the repercussions of dehydration. This is particularly important during the summer months for all people but especially for those with autoimmune conditions.
One way to offset any lack of adequate water you may be getting is to make sure the foods you eat are hydrating. This doesn't mean to skip that glass of water, but these delicious hydrating foods can be added to your plate daily to give you a hydration boost.
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Hydrating Foods: What to eat to Improve Hydration
Rough Transcript (listening is best)
We all have the best hydration intentions...
We all have the best intentions with our water intake. You may be great at getting your water in each day, or you may need a little help remembering to stay hydrated. Either way, it's a daily task to remember to stay hydrated and avoid the repercussions of dehydration.
One way to offset any lack of adequate water you may be getting is to make sure the foods you eat are hydrating. This doesn't mean to skip that glass of water, but these delicious foods can be added to your plate daily to give you a hydration boost.
Intro
Welcome if this is your first time listening - I’m Audrey Christie - I’m a functional and integrative nurse nutritionist and energy medicine practitioner. I help women stop chasing symptoms and find relief and ultimately learn how to heal their bodies from autoimmune disease.
Let's talk about hydration...
Did you know that even becoming mildly dehydrated is a physical, mental, and energetic stressor for kids and adults? It double hurts when you have an existing autoimmune condition (or collection of symptoms that won't go away!)
Depending on where you're at in your wellness journey it's possible that you don't have a taste for regular, plain water. It is critical to get used to drinking water as your primary beverage. Hydration from water is critical to combat fatigue, to keep the body from storing toxins, for healthy skin, to float those pads in between your joints (like your knees and between the vertebrae in your back).
Proper hydration also prevents seasonal allergies, keeps your blood flowing quite literally, and helps keep you able to workout longer (running or lifting), and keeps your immune system humming along.
A Quick Story for you from a client...
I have seen so many clients in pain - one stands out in particular as having a lot of back and joint pain. They said it felt like his bones were collapsing and that there wasn't enough sponge between his back bones and knees. This kept him from his work and hobbies. After the consultation we discovered that they weren't keeping up his water intake - started drinking water again - added some important minerals and within 48 hours - PAIN-FREE. That is not a one-time event, I have seen it time and time again. That, my friends, is the power of water.
How much hydration do I need
You've probably heard the official recommendation of eight 8 oz glasses or 64 oz of water a day, it is just enough to keep you alive. It is not enough for you to reap any of the benefits that I've mentioned previously.
For most people, you need to drink a minimum of a gallon of water or 128 ounces per day to get the real benefits of water. If you weigh less than 120 lbs, then you can drink your body weight in ounces as a starting point. Crazy right?
Why Hydrating Foods
So there is more to water than just volume - you also need the proper mineral balance. For most of us, the water we drink is heavily treated and sometimes the minerals are all stripped out of it. Water without minerals doesn't hydrate well, in fact it can actually serve to dehydrate your body. (I recommend filtering your water - but that is for another day!)
Since we have a need for minerals, I recommend consuming these hydrating foods, not instead of water BUT with your water as part of your food intake because it helps your body hang on to water better (and not in a bloaty way), it helps water find its way into the cells in your body.
Hydration plus balanced minerals mean you are supercharged - when you are supercharged (you could also say balanced, but these days even balance is a superpower) that means EVERYTHING works better. Your food, your energy work, your workouts, your supplements, even your medication if you are still at a point on your journey where you rely on daily meds.
Hydrating foods have the power to do this, and often I recommend a mineral drop supplement (that will change your life!) to go with that too, especially in the beginning while we are correcting the deficiency.
What are the hydrating foods
Cucumbers (organic!!)
Cucumbers aren’t just great on salads -- they’re also ideal for adding more water into your day.
These cooling and refreshing veggies are great to use as a side item, on your salads, sandwiches, or as a filling snack.
Cucumbers contain 95% water and are a great way to stay hydrated. They are also really high in b vitamins! Hello energy!
Oranges
Oranges are a sweet and delicious way to get more water in without actually drinking a glass.
They’re perfectly portable too, so if you keep slacking on refilling your water bottle, keep a bowl of oranges on your desk as a supplement.
Since they also contain vitamin C, you get a nice immunity boost, which is more important than ever before.
Don't avoid oranges even if you are "keto" - fruit isn't the enemy - processed sugar products are.
Watermelon
Perhaps the best way to stay hydrated, especially in the summer, is to fill up on watermelon.
Not only does it taste sweet and refreshing, but it is almost 100% water by weight.
It will curb your desire for something sweet while cooling you down and rehydrating you all at once, plus it’s a brilliant addition to any smoothie.
Spinach (organic!!)
Try using spinach as a base for your salads, and you'll get more water in every mouthful. Like watermelon, it's almost wholly water by weight.
If you aren't a fan of the way it tastes, put it in a smoothie with your watermelon, and you'll never know it's there. Spinach also has loads of other nutrients you need, so you'll be getting more hydration and nourishment for a win-win.
Strawberry (organic!!)
Strawberries also have a high water content, measuring in at over 90% water.
They taste great as everyone knows and can be added to your oats, yogurt, smoothies, or even on that spinach salad we talked about.
Strawberries make a fantastic addition to any breakfast -- savory or sweet. Keep a carton in your fridge, and you'll effortlessly find a way to add them to your plate. Yum!
Infused Water
One of my favorite ways to convince people to drink water is to get creative in your hydration efforts is by mixing water and your favorite fruits to create water infusions or as I like to call them Spa Water.
This can be as simple as adding a few slices of lemon, lime, or grapefruit to your water bottle.
You can also take it up a notch by creating infusion recipes such as mixing fruit and herbs. Strawberry basil, lemon thyme, and cucumber mint are some popular, delicious options. You can even create special blends layering the healing energy.
To wrap this up -
Take your hydration, healing, and energy to the next level with hydrating foods! This is particularly important for those suffering from autoimmune conditions.
I have created a free resource for you, called Kickstart Your Autoimmune Revolution, And its specifically simple steps you can take right now. You can download it on the show notes page or your podcast player, or at audreychristie.com/autoimmune.
Thank you so much for tuning in, if you have a second it would mean the world to me if you could leave a rating or review! That helps me help more people start an autoimmune revolution of their own. I’d be oh so grateful.
I hope you have the most magical and restful day friends, and I challenge you to leave your world, however you can, a little better than how you found it when you got up this morning.
Be well.