7 Ways to Get More Water Into Your Diet

By courtneysunday HERWriter

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If sales of Yeti cups were the benchmark, it appears that drinking water is big business. These 30-ounce tumblers are showing up on many influencers’ feeds, even though it isn’t cheap to hydrate fashionably. Upwards of $30 for a water bottle, these cups hold cold and hot because of stainless steel. It is the perfect product for people who forget about their iced coffee (one person found his coffee 24 hours later in a hot car, still with chunks of ice in it). (1)

But this isn’t an advertisement for Yeti. It is a cry for hydration.

It is so easy to get distracted by our lives (and the pings of our phones) to think about something as simple as drinking water. In my experience, it is the simple things that go by the wayside. We assume that we will remember them, until we don’t.

Our body is happy to let us know that we have failed when it comes to giving it the vital key for almost every bodily function. Your mouth or tongue may feel dry or parched (guess what, your body needs water to make saliva or spit). (2) You urinate less often, which is convenient when you are working, but not as convenient for the health of your body. You may get a mild headache. You may be more sensitive to pain.

Listen to your body, we hear all the time. Yet we are too busy listening to headlines, maintaining a low level of stress hormones all the time.

If this is you, you probably don’t need another article telling you to “drink more water.” I am guilty of writing such articles, having exceptional water drinking behavior and then sliding back to a life of coffee and kombucha.

Luckily, there are a myriad of foods out there that are bursting with water. These foods forgive us for our water-forgetting ways. They make up for what we don’t drink so that our urine can go back to a healthier colour (light urine is what you are looking for). Water should still make up 80% but consider these foods your 20% forgiveness factor.

1) Cucumber. 96.7% water(!). It is the highest water content of any solid food (take that, watermelon!). Make a cucumber soup to get a good dose of this wonder vegetable.
2) Iceberg Lettuce. 95.6% water. I am guilty of shunning white rice for brown and iceberg for kale, just because they were healthier. However, iceberg does have its benefits and makes for a mean lettuce wrap.
3) Celery. 95.4% water. Although this can be seen as a bland diet food, some people love the crunch. Add hummus or peanut butter to make it more interesting. It probably loses some of its health benefits if it is only enjoyed alongside wings.
4) Tomatoes. 94.5% water. Who doesn’t love a fresh-from-the-vine tomato? Well, probably some people, but if you think they are wonderful, add them to everything with the added confidence that you are helping your skin look suppler with the increased water content.
5) Peppers. 93.9% water. Peppers provide a great crunch and are much more amenable to children than some of our other suggestions. “Hey kids! Don’t worry about drinking water – I have a big bunch of celery for you!”
6) Watermelon. 91.5% water, because duh, it’s watermelon. Make a watermelon salad and consider everyone who eats it a much closer friend.
7) Baby carrots, 90.4% water (compared to full sized carrots which are 88.3% water). Although chips are the master at pairing with guacamole, baby carrots aren’t too shabby.

This is doable – right?

Article Sources

1. Saggio, Jessica. Are You Ready For A Yeti? Popular Cups Make Bold Promise. Florida Today. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/money/business/2016/05/12/you-ready-yeti-popular-cups-make-bold-promise/83946560/Retrieved August 2 2019.

2. How Can You Tell If You’re Dehyrated. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-tell-if-youre-dehydrated Retrieved August 2 2019.

3. MacMillan, Amanda. 15 Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated. Health. https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20709014,00.htmlRetrieved August 2 2019.

Quiz: Do You Know How to Stay Hydrated?

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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