10 Tips And Drinks To Stay Hydrated Without Drinking Water
Whether you have hyponatremia (low sodium level in blood) or have been advised by the doctor to avoid water intake, you need a way to stay hydrated without drinking water.
Now, that may seem unhealthy, considering more than 70% of our body is said to be water and it’s an essential when it comes to the body’s needs.
Here’s something we need to understand. It’s not water, rather the hydration it provides that our body needs.
So, is it possible to hydrate your body without water? It sure is.
Read on to find out!
Tips to Stay Hydrated Without Drinking Water
1) Preserve the skin’s moisture:
Just like saving money is crucial no matter how much you earn, saving the fluids in your body is necessary whether you drink water for hydration or not.
So, how do you keep up your well-hydrated skin?
Use moisturizers. Don’t leave your skin dry by washing your face again and again. Use natural honey, aloe vera, or even milk on your skin to help it stay hydrated. If you go out in the sun a lot, use a good SPF sunscreen with moisturizer.
2) Eat more fruits and veggies:
When you don’t want to drink water, fruits and vegetables high in water content are your best buddies! Watermelons, spinach, kale, cucumber, tomatoes, grapes, apples, and oranges are some examples of hydrating fruits and vegetables.
We know buttery avocados and mineral-rich pomegranates may not seem like the hydrating kind. But they are rich in electrolytes like potassium which helps retain water in your body. Fruit and veggie salads topped with avocado and some cheese will make an incredible hydrating delicacy for you to try.
3) Avoid alcohol and coffee:
Coffee can dehydrate you when taken more than 3-4 times a day. Caffeine in coffee does this by pushing the flow of blood to your kidneys, making them flush out more fluids. Alcohol is also a diuretic like coffee and can promote urination which will promote loss of fluids from your body.
If you are an addict, or can’t see a day without coffee or a beer, avoiding them is your answer to how to stay hydrated without water.
For this, you may have to look into your work habits and morning routines (coffee) and also your get-togethers with family and friends (alcohol). That’s because these situations might be encouraging you to drink more of these not-so-healthy drinks.
4) Add hydrating foods to your diet:
Ever realized how good you feel after a breakfast involving oatmeal? Maybe you are a fan of sandwiches with dips made of cheese or fatty fruits like avocado (guacamole).
Oatmeal and avocado along with milkshakes, cheesy pasta, fruit jams, and fruit salads with yogurt dressings are all examples of water-rich foods that will keep you hydrated. Chia porridge and zucchini noodles are worth a try too if you wish to stay hydrated.
What Are The Most Hydrating Drinks Besides Water?
So, what to drink to stay hydrated, if not water! Here are the 6 best drinks you can find or make in your kitchen!
1) Smoothies
Do you like cucumbers, spinach, or fruit? Whether you like these individually or not, you are sure to like a smoothie made out of them because they are highly hydrating.
Make a smoothie with fruit that is high in water content. You can blend oranges, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, apples, pineapples, or peaches. You can make it with milk or yogurt.
If you’re a vegan, coconut milk and soya milk are excellent choices. You can also try aloe vera smoothie to keep you hydrated for longer.
It’s wise to blend a large quantity of your favorite smoothie ahead of time and drink it throughout the busy day. Some people consider smoothies as the best drink for dehydration. All thanks to the flavors along with their super hydrating qualities.
2) Milk
Milk is well-known for providing calcium, but milk is also good for hydration and can help to maintain hydration levels throughout the day. Additionally, it’s also an excellent post-workout drink, as the mineral and protein content aids in muscle recovery.
According to a study, a dairy-based beverage with milk permeate improved bodily fluid retention for up to four hours after consumption. As a result, it had a higher beverage hydration index than a carbohydrate-based electrolyte beverage or plain water.
3) Tea
While caffeinated teas can dehydrate you, herbal tea, green tea, or hybrid teas with less caffeine content can help with hydration. Without much caffeine with its diuretic properties, the herbs and spices in these teas can help your body heal better.
These teas also help with digestion and metabolism, thus reducing the use of the body’s fluid resources for the same job. Some ingredients like rose and chamomile are hydrating on their own too.
4) Electrolyte drinks
Want To know how to stay hydrated overnight & faster than water? Consume electrolyte drinks. Being full of essential electrolytes, these drinks can keep up your hydration in the body. And that, without waking you up with a dry mouth in the middle of the night.
5) Coconut water
It won’t be wrong to say that coconut water (and not plain water) is the best drink for dehydration. The plant-based drink contains tons of electrolytes like calcium, magnesium, and sodium. These help keep the fluid balance in your body intact. It is also delicious, in case you are wondering.
6) Soup
Most soup broths are high in salt, which aids in the retention of water and the prevention of dehydration. Add fruit or vegetables with high water content. You can use cucumber, tomatoes, celery, spinach, or radishes, for extra nourishment and hydration.
Vegetable soups or broths like that of chicken may actually hydrate faster than water because of such ingredients.
Related: Does Salt dehydrate you?
The Last Word
Now you know how to stay hydrated without drinking water. We also shared some ways through which you can even hydrate faster than water!
You also got to know some of the best drinks for hydration like coconut water, soups, smoothies, and milk of all kinds.
Share your favorite way to stay hydrated without water in the comments below!