Dehydrated Over Christmas? Hydrating Foods That Support Digestion and Energy
During the holidays, people are more prone to dehydration due to dry foods, alcohol and colder temperatures. Alcohol increases urine output by 4–8% per drink, leading to significant fluid loss. Similarly, salty snacks and roasted meats can raise the body’s fluid requirements by up to 1.5 liters per day. These factors together can reduce hydration levels by 25%.
Advice from a Hydration Expert for the Holiday Season
“Holiday overeating is hard on digestion, and dehydration just makes it worse, research indicates that even a 2% loss of body water can significantly slow digestive movement and cause bloating and constipation,” says the expert from Instant Hydration.
In order to reduce these risks, the expert suggests consuming foods that are rich in water as they can also supply necessary vitamins and antioxidants.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash: 87.3% water
Butternut squash is rich in water, fiber (2g per 100g), which helps with digestion, and vitamin A, supporting immune health. The water content helps keep you hydrated while providing key nutrients like potassium (329mg per 100g) that help balance fluids.
Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
- Cabbage: 91.9% water
- Carrots: 89.3% water
Cabbage is a source of fiber (1.3g per 100g) and vitamin C (40.3mg per 100g), which supports the immune system. Carrots give beta-carotene (9200 mcg per 100g) that is converted into vitamin A and thus, is good for hydrating your skin.
Winter Citrus Smoothie (Orange, Kiwi, and Spinach)
- Oranges: 86.7% water
- Kiwi: 83.8% water
- Spinach: 92.5% water
Oranges bring vitamin C (59.1mg per 100g) to the body to strengthen the immune system, whereas kiwi supplies vitamin K (40mcg per 100g) as well as potassium (302mg per 100g), which are good for fluid balance. Spinach, which is 92% water, still manages to provide iron (1.26mg per 100g) and magnesium (92.9mg per 100g) that are both sources of energy and hydration.
Kelp Broth
- Kelp: 90% water
Besides high water content it also has high iodine content (150mcg per 100g), which plays the main factor that helps in regulating the fluid balance as well as the thyroid function. Kelp also provides vitamins A (6 msg per 100g) and vitamin C (3mg per 100g), thus strengthening the immune system and improving the skin hydration.
Chickpea Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes: 79.5% water
- Spinach: 92.5% water
- Chickpeas: 8.77% water
Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber (4.44g per 100g) and vitamin A (961 mcg RAE per 100g), both of which are beneficial for the immune system. Spinach is rich in iron and magnesium, which are the contributors of energy. While chickpeas are loaded with protein (21.3g per 100g) and fiber (17g per 100g), nutrients that support muscles and digestion.
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