by Roberta Schwartz Wennik, MS, RD (NAPS)—Did you know that 55 to 75 percent of your total body weight is water? That amounts to about 10 to 12 gallons. Just like your car’s gas tank, your body’s water tank needs constantrefilling. On average, 80 percent of your body’s daily fill-up comes from beverages, with the remainder of your water needs coming from foods, especially fruits and vegetables. While you should definitely be concerned about dehydration during the summer, don’t underestimate the amount of water your body loses during the winter. During the summer, your normal thirst mechanism will encourage you to drink something, but during the winter, you maynotfeel as thirsty—so you may drink less. Therefore, you have to consciously make the effort to stay properly hydrated. Fortunately, it’s really easy to stay hydrated. There’s always tap water; however, it may not always be accessible or taste good. I recommend to myclients that they keep a high-quality bottle of water on handatall times, and there are some great options to choose from. One option, Vitaminwater10, contains natural sweeteners, very minimal calories (only 10 calories per serving), and on top of that, it contains natural flavors and colors found in fruits and vegetables. It’s also a convenient way to hydrate as it contains some of the essential nutrients we need throughout the Foods For Hydration Fruits | Vegetables Listed from most fo least water. Strawberries Watermelon Grapefruit Cantaloupe Peach Pineapple Orange Raspberries Apple Pear Grapes Cherries Cucumber Lettuce Celery Tomato Summersquash Cauliflower Mushrooms Spinach Cabbage Broccoli Green beans Carrots @ day (Vitaminwater10 has four B vitamins, 100 percent DV for vitamin C, electrolytes, etc.). Your mother was right when she said “eat your fruits and vegetables,” but for more reasons than you might think. With most produce containing lots of water, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will help to keep you hydrated. Also, let’s not forget about all the great nutritional value you get, such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Check out the table above to see which fruits and vegetables contain the most water. Roberta Schwartz Wennik, MS, RD, is president of HealthPro, a nutrition consulting firm in Seat- tle, Wash. She can be reached through her Web site www.advantagediets.com. at
