As we all know, water is essential to life and overall well-being. Research has found that even mild dehydration may affect our mood and ability to focus.1 We all know that we should be drinking water at a decent rate throughout the day, but sometimes it just gets a bit dull.
Luckily, there are more flavourful ways of meeting out daily H2O requirements than by going straight to the source. Here are a few:
1. Coconut water
Unlike artificial sports drinks, unsweetened coconut water is naturally low in carbohydrates while at the same time being rich in the electrolyte potassium, which plays a key role in good hydration. In addition to this, coconut water is about 95% water.
2. Lemon water
Adding freshly sliced lemon to a pitcher is one of the easiest ways of flavouring water and making it more interesting. The benefits don’t end there, though. Lemon is rich in electrolytes such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. In fact, lemons contain more potassium than either apples or grapes.
3. Juiced cucumber
Amazingly enough, a cucumber is about 96% water2. As for the rest of this healthy and refreshing fruit? Well, a good portion of it is vitamin K, which is associated with bone and heart health.3
4. Juiced watermelon
Watermelon is 92% water and 6% sugar4, perfect for when you want a sweet hydrating drink without overdosing on the sugar. Watermelon happens to be a great source of electrolytes, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium and is also a great source of other important nutrients such as vitamin A, which plays a vital role in bone and cell growth as well as immune function.5
1 http://www.webmd.com/women/news/20120120/even-mild-dehydration-may-cause-emotional-physical-problems#1
2 http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/list-fruits-vegetable-high-water-content-8958.html
3 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/03/24/vitamin-k-part-two.aspx
4 http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-much-water-is-in-a-watermelon
5 http://www.watermelon.org/Nutrition/Hydration
