Keeping yourself hydrated is one of the best ways to keep your body functioning optimally, as your body depends on water to survive. According to scientists, enough fluid intake every day is crucial for many reasons including the regulation of body temperature, lubrication of joints, prevention of infections, delivering nutrients to cells or sites where they are needed, keeping the organs functioning properly and improving sleep quality, brain functioning and mood.
Seeing what being well hydrated does to the body, it is quite simple to guess what would happen if the reverse were to be the case. Some side effects or symptoms that would characterize dehydration or failure to drink enough water or fluid would include fatigue, headaches, dry skin, weakened immunity, dark yellow or amber-coloured urine, decreased skin elasticity, low blood pressure, decreased urination, and dry mouth and mucous membranes.
Although many of us have come to realize the importance of keeping our bodies hydrated, many still often make the wrong choices when trying to keep themselves hydrated. This is because many people often turn to soft drinks or soda as their choice fluid whenever they are thirsty or dehydrated. The intake of soft drinks is linked to several health challenges such as obesity, high blood pressure, increased risk of type 2 diabetes and poorer memory.
It is therefore important to ditch soft drinks for healthier alternatives while still keeping the body well hydrated. With that in mind, below are 5 unsweetened healthy drinks you hydrate yourself with instead of soft drinks:
1. Flavoured water
This only requires you to add slices of your favourite fruits, vegetables, and herbs to water to give it a distinct flavour. You can use the like of oranges, mint, lime, watermelon and cucumber for this purpose.
2. Hot or iced green tea
The consumption of green tea is linked to many health benefits including the reduction of risk for some cancer, heart disease, obesity, liver disease and type 2 diabetes and with its antioxidant properties, you can be sure of doing your body a great favour.
3. Lemon-lime drink
If you don’t also want to take plain water, and you’re trying to avoid sugary drinks, then you can add lemon and lime to your water. You can also boil the two along with water and refrigerate it after it has cooled off.
4. Soy Milk
Soy milk is another fluid you can use to replace soft drinks. It is especially high in calcium, an essential nutrient for good bone health, and vitamin D, a vital vitamin essential for calcium absorption, immune function, and promotion of bone, muscle, and heart health.
5. Coconut water
A glass of coconut water would also do wonders and keep you hydrated as it is not only low in sugar content but also contains electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium, and sodium which all help to maintain the body’s fluid balance.
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