I’m sure you’ve heard how important it is to drink enough water. The question is, though, what kind of water should we be drinking? We are becoming chronically dehydrated and contrary to popular belief, the answer isn’t to simply “drink more water.” In order to get your body hydrated, you need to start thinking quality over quantity. The water running out of your tap does not have enough minerals to give your body what it needs. It’s ultimately dead water that will make you feel, well…dead. Our water is dead, our soil is dead, our food is dead…but never fear, there are ways to bring life back into your body. There are lots of little tricks you can do to get your hydration levels up, and here are some of them:
- Spring water
Spring water is a million times more hydrating than tap water (Ok, that’s not an exact statistic, but you get my point). Not only is spring water readily available, but it’s cheap, too. You can find bottles at the grocery store for around a dollar or two. Score! Now I know the red flag in your mind just went off when I suggested you drink from plastic bottles, but would you rather drink water that is contaminated with things like fluoride, chlorine and heavy metals or drink clean, fresh water that might have touched plastic for a while? I’d choose the latter. Not only is this water free of life-leaching chemicals, it’s high in life-giving minerals like magnesium and calcium. Depending on what kind of water you get, there can be all kinds of trace minerals in there that your body is just aching for.
2. Coconut water
You've all heard of coconut water by now. So what’s the big deal?? Well, coconut water is high in minerals like potassium, which make it great as a sports drink. Any drink that is high in potassium will replenish your electrolytes in a snap and coconut water is known to be the king of electrolytes. Try to get the brands with no sugar added or even better, buy a young coconut and drink it straight from the shell!
3. A squeeze of lemon
The waiters might roll their eyes when you ask for lemon wedges with your water, but hey — the joke’s on them because lemon juice turns tap water into a hydrating elixir of the gods. Much like coconut water, lemons replenish electrolytes like no other. Lemons activate the water, allowing it to absorb more easily into your cells. Keep some fresh lemons on hand to up your water game.
4. Cucumbers
Eat cucumbers. They have mad minerals in them, particularly sodium, which helps to keep you hydrated. No surprises here! Cucumbers, as well as celery, will boost your electrolytes and provide your body with the life-giving water that it so desperately needs. Juice some cucumbers in the morning or take some slices to work with you and munch on them throughout the day.
5. Green Juice
Juice bars are popping up everywhere -- and for good reason, too. Green juice is known to give you energy, and why is that? It’s because of -- yes, you guessed it…minerals! Having a green juice in the morning, especially on an empty stomach, is just what your body needs after a long night’s sleep. Not only is it a great way to kick start your system, but the minerals in the greens will make sure your body reaches maximum hydration levels. Bonus points if you throw some cucumber and celery in as those veggies contain optimal sodium. If you don’t have cucumber or celery, don’t worry – there are all kinds of things you can juice!
6. Herbal Tea
The final and most unexpected tip. Did you know that tea actually contains minerals? For example, nettle leaf is high in iron and Rooibos is high in potassium -- yet another reason to get on the tea train. Black tea has minerals too, but the caffeine content could cancel out the benefits. You can also add a teaspoon of raw honey to your tea to wake up your water even more. Get in at least one cup of herbal tea per day and you’ll be sure to keep your hydration at optimal levels.
