Fruits and vegetables can help with hydration [a banana is 74% water!] and provide healthful nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. So for elite athletes – or those just trying to stay fit – a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, including bananas, is important for performing at your best!
The nutrition facts for 1 medium-sized banana (100 grams) are ( 1 ): Calories: 89. Water: 75%
1. Watermelon. Watermelon is very healthy and one of the most hydrating foods you can eat. A 1-cup (154-gram) serving contains over a half cup (118 ml) of water, in addition to some fiber and several important nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin A and magnesium.
Research shows that milk is one of the best beverages for hydration, even better than water or sports drinks. Researchers credit milk's natural electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein for its effectiveness.
Drink an ORS Before Bed
Instead of drinking a glass of water, drink an oral rehydration solution like DripDrop ORS, which also contains electrolytes that are essential for hydration. Try to drink the ORS an hour or two before bed so you don't wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom.
Dr MS Krishnamurthy, clarifies that you should not drink water (especially cold water) after eating bananas as it can cause severe indigestion. According to him, drinking water after eating bananas makes it hard to digest because of the inherent properties of the fruit which are similar to that of cold water.
A large banana packs about 480mg, or 10 percent of your daily requirement (%DV) of potassium. But a banana can also contain 36.7mg of magnesium, providing about 10 percent of your daily requirement for that essential mineral, too. So bananas do double electrolyte duty.
If water is consumed after taking these fruits, it can upset your digestion. This is because water containing food smoothens the digestion process and makes the bowel movement easy. If water is consumed over them, the bowel movement becomes too smooth and can lead to loose motion/diarrhoea.
With beginning symptoms of dehydration, you can rehydrate by consuming fluids that contain electrolytes, such as sports drinks or oral rehydration solutions. There are also foods available that have a high water content, such as fruits and vegetables. These will also help with rehydration.
Avoid soda, alcohol and caffeinated drinks. One way to make sure you are properly hydrated is to check your urine. If it's clear, pale or straw-colored, it's OK.
Use 1 part sports drink to 1 part water. Most adults with mild to moderate dehydration from diarrhea, vomiting or fever can improve their condition by drinking more water or other liquids. Diarrhea may be worsened by full-strength fruit juice and soft drinks.
Pedialyte and Gatorade are both designed to prevent or treat dehydration. In fact, thanks to their electrolyte content, they're more effective than water at rehydrating.
In general, however, it usually takes about two hours for your body to rehydrate fully after drinking a significant amount of water. As for how you should rehydrate, water is the best choice. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, can be helpful for athletes who need to replenish electrolytes.
It can take just 5 minutes to begin rehydrating your body. On the other hand, if you drink water while eating, your body will prioritize digesting food before water. This often takes up to 120 minutes to digest water and rehydrate your body.
Going to sleep dehydrated can cause cramping
If you haven't had enough water during the day or before bed, you may experience cramping like this while you sleep, especially in your legs. This can be very painful, waking you up and keeping you from getting a good night's sleep.
Researchers looked at the risk of dehydration in approximately 20,000 U.S. and Chinese adults. In both populations, people who reported sleeping six or fewer hours had up to a 59% higher risk of dehydration compared with those who slept seven to eight hours on a regular basis.
Getting a sufficient amount of high-quality sleep is an important part of preventing dehydration. The body goes through multiple complex processes during sleep that enable recovery for overall health.