You may be drinking those required cups of water and stocking up on flavoured water but do you still struggle to stay on top of your hydration game and find yourself unreasonably thirsty, especially after consuming certain foods?
Well, it must be the frequent trips to the kitchen.
While some foods contribute to our overall hydration, adding water themselves and or electrolytes (which help the body regulate and circulate water), others can actually have a dehydrating effect, requiring us to play catch-up to make up for those losses.
What are some of the top culprits that can dehydrate you further? Below are some of the foods that can make you dehydrated and feel extra thirsty.
Salty foods
Salty foods increase fluid loss in your body because water is needed to eliminate all the extra sodium naturally present in salt. Foods like soy sauce, popcorn, sausages, and fried foods, which have a high content of salt, should be consumed with awareness.
Other foods that may have high sodium content include fast food, canned or frozen meals, condiments and salad dressings.
Bread
Bread, although not terribly high in salt per slice, is one of the leading reasons that people eat too much salt in their diet.
Bread is often used at all mealtimes and even for snacks, so all that bread together can add up to a high salt intake.
Limiting the amount of bread you eat will help reduce the sneaky salt that you didn’t know you were consuming.
Alcohol
If you have experienced a hangover after a night of heavy drinking, then you know that along with a headache, you also feel thirsty. Alcohol is highly diuretic in nature and the more drinks you consume, the more frequent your bathroom visits.
This causes a loss of body fluids, eventually leading to fluid imbalance and dehydration.
So, if you are planning a night of binge drinking, ensure that you keep yourself adequately hydrated along with limiting the number of drinks that you consume.
Your body will thank you in the morning.
High protein foods
If you are on a high-protein diet, chances are you may feel dehydrated. The body uses up more water in order to metabolise the naturally occurring nitrogen in protein, due to which cells may lose water content significantly, further making you feel dehydrated.
So even if you are on a high protein diet, make sure you are loading yourself with more water content.
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate can be very dehydrating due to its high sugar content. Often, they are packed with more sugar than fizzy drinks and sometimes combined with high-fat milk for flavour.
Opting for low-sugar and water-based hot chocolate is better to stay hydrated.