It’s no secret skin-care is a passion of mine and I am always searching for the next skin-care innovation. But the truth is, just giving your skin the basic necessities can noticeably improve its appearance. Arguably the most important element of basic skin-care is hydration. Keeping your body hydrated keeps your skin resilient and glowing, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and rids the skin of toxins that can cause blemishes. With all of these benefits, staying hydrated is a no-brainer, but for me it’s definitely easier said than done. I constantly struggle with getting in the recommended eight glasses of water per day. Because of this, I decided to look into other ways I can keep my body and skin hydrated throughout the day. Educating myself on alternative methods of hydrating my body has helped me manage staying hydrated throughout the day without having to make big changes in my routine. Here are some of the simple ways I’ve been keeping my body and skin hydrated:
Eat more produce
Fruits and vegetables have a high water content. Introducing more produce into your diet, does not only give you the benefit of their vitamins and minerals, but all of the water they contain goes into hydrating your body. Some great examples of this are cucumbers-96.7% water, strawberries-92% water, and spinach-92% water. On average most fruits and vegetables are 87% water, the more produce you eat the more hydrated your body will be. If you’re on-the-go like me, I love using my fruits and veggies in a smoothie!
Start your day with oatmeal or chia seeds
When deciding on what to eat for breakfast consider making oatmeal or chia seeds. Not only are these two foods good sources of protein and fiber, but they are very absorbent. When preparing oatmeal or chia seeds they cook by absorbing lots of water, the water they then contain goes into hydrating your body when consumed. A hydrating meal that will keep you feeling full is a great way to start the day!
Consider soup for lunch or dinner
Just like the previous recommendations, foods that have a high water content will hydrate your body. So, soup for obvious reasons is a great choice when deciding on lunch or dinner. Just be sure to check the salt content and make a choice with a lower sodium level, as salt is dehydrating.
Cut down on dry, carb-heavy snacks and sugar
Dry snacks like chips, crackers and pretzels have a very low water content and do very little to hydrate the body. And sweet treats and sugary snacks actually decrease the body’s ability to store water. When choosing a snack this is important, not only are these choices not giving the body many benefits, but they are also having negative effects by dehydrating the body and skin. It’s okay to enjoy these kinds of snacks, I do, but understanding their effects on the body and making sure they are not the majority of what you consume will help keep your skin at its best.
Change up your water routine
Understanding alternative ways to stay hydrated has been very helpful, but I always feel even better when I do get my recommended eight glasses of water in a day. To ensure I’m drinking more water I’ve taken several different steps. First, I’ve invested in a bigger water bottle. I’m always on-the-go and if my water bottle is empty I rarely find time to refill it, getting myself a bigger bottle has increased the amount of water I can consume before I run out. I have also been setting reminders for myself, setting alarms throughout the day has been a great way to remind me to drink water no matter how busy I get. Along with setting alarms, I’ve been drinking a glass of water before each meal, if I can remember to eat then I can remember to drink water. Lastly, changing up my water and making it interesting has been very convincing for me. I’ve been infusing my water with different fruits and buying different flavors of sparkling water, having a new flavor to try and look forward to makes drinking water more fun!
Taking care of my skin is such a priority for me, struggling to stay hydrated was something I had to confront. Educating myself on different ways to up my water intake has been a great reminder as I go through each day to make choices that will keep me hydrated. If you struggle with this like me, I hope some of these tips help you too!
What do you think?