Would you be surprised if you found out that over 50% of adults and children alike do not get enough water in their diet? Yep, as shocking as it sounds, many do not even consider water as a part of a healthy diet, and rather just an accessory.
However, the importance of water cannot be emphasized enough. From ensuring that cellular processes continue unabated, to keeping your mind sharp, promoting elimination of toxic waste and contributing to weight loss, if it’s important to you, water is needed!
However, how can you come to terms with getting more water in your diet if you can’t stand it? The answer is simple but not immediately obvious; get more of it from nature’s best: by juicing fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables consist primarily of water, which is exactly why they can be juiced in the first place.
Why Should I Juice To Boost My Hydration?
Juicing possesses many advantages that drinking plain water does not. Among the most popular reasons people juice instead of drinking water include:
• Flavor- if you are turned off by drinking simple water, juicing can be a godsend. With virtually limitless options for customizing, you can painlessly improve your hydration levels.
• Nutritional Bonuses- water is just water. Yes, it is still absolutely essential for bodily functions, but there’s no way you can survive on just that. On the other hand, juicing fruits and veggies can be a complete diet, albeit one that is likely to leave you hungry or hard up on certain nutrients. Vitamins and minerals abound in fruits and veggies, including the occasional omega-3 fat, which improves the composition of cell membranes and helps to prevent rapid water loss (thus, stalling dehydration).
• Modulates Blood Sugar Levels- many people are unaware of this fact, but people with unstable blood sugar levels are much more likely to become easily dehydrated, or have a hard time keeping hydrated. In diabetics, for example, the excretion of sugar in urine also encourages water to leave, resulting in an acute state of dehydration. Juicing with fruits and vegetables (but especially vegetables) can stabilize blood sugar levels, by virtue of their many phytonutrients and fiber content.
Most Hydrating Fruits And Vegetables
Sure, you can try any fruit or vegetable, but if you’re looking to maintain peak hydration levels, these should be your first picks:
Vegetables:
• Cucumbers (96% Water)
• Iceberg Lettuce (95%)
• Celery (95%)
• Radishes (95%)
• Tomatoes (94%)
There are many more options that are also extremely hydrating, but these cover the most popular and easy to get vegetables.
Fruits
• Watermelon (92% Water)
• Star Fruit (91.5%)
• Strawberries (91%)
• Grapefruit (90%)
• Cantaloupe (90%)
Again, mix it up from time to time; just try to include the basics most of the time.
Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Juices
While drinking juices, simple techniques can improve its nutrition and hydrating properties.
These include:
• Juicer Choice- always opt for a masticating juicer over a centrifugal juicer. Centrifugal juicers generate a lot of heat, and expose raw goods to oxidation, degrading their nutritional density
• Consume Immediately- evaporation, and air exposure degradation (oxidation) result in loss of both water content and phytonutrients.
• Try To Retain Pulp- though impossible to retain all (unless blending into a smoothie) a masticating juicer ensures you get much more fibery goodness that is the pulp. As alluded to earlier, the fiber content plays an important role in keeping someone with blood sugar issues well hydrated, and translates well to other functions too.
Conclusion
Juicing is not only a good option to water when it comes to hydration, it is likely a better one. With so many additional benefits to boot, the question is “have you juiced today?”