... By Karli Taylor
Though drinking water is essential to your health, it isn't the only way to stay hydrated. According to the Institute of Medicine, 20 percent of your water intake comes from food. These water-rich foods take hydration a step further by adding important nutrients that are vital for active people like you! In addition to getting your 6-8 glasses of water a day, add these foods to your diet to improve your hydration and your overall health.
To boost your electrolytes, add cantaloupe, strawberries and peaches to your diet. These fruits are mostly water and rich in potassium, an electrolyte lost through sweat. One cup of any of these fruits contains between five and ten percent of your daily needs. If you are prone to muscle cramps, potassium might be the answer to your prayers!
Add watermelon, kiwi and citrus fruits to the mix to increase levels of vitamin C in your diet.
Vitamin C helps maintain cartilage and joint flexibility, and these fruits provide at least a third of your daily need per serving. Not enough reason to cut up that big watermelon? Vitamin C also plays a role in protecting your skin by counteracting the negative effects of UV rays, pollution, and sweat .
The last two things to throw into your fruit salad will help you recover after a tough workout- pineapple and cherries. The enzyme bromelain, found in pineapple, may reduce inflammation and speed muscle repair while cherries contain anthocyanins and melatonin, which reduce inflammation.
Hungry for some fruit salad?
Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.


















