I love eating pizza and dipping the crusts into the garlic sauce that comes with it. Sadly, every time I do the dip, I wake up puffed out because my body spent the evening excreting water to dilute the 310 mg of sodium I consumed with my sauce.
But it’s not just the garlic dipping sauces that’ll make you thirsty, there are loads of foods and drinks that will zap your body of water and drive you to the brink of dehydration.
The inside stuff
- Sodium. Your body needs sodium. And when you provide your body with too much sodium your body uses water to dilute it. As more water is used you become thirsty.
- Sugar. Like sodium, you body uses water to break down simple sugars that you eat and drink. The more sugar you take in, the more water your body needs to make use of the sugar.
- Diuretics. These are things that make you pee. If you’re going to eat or drink diuretics be sure to drink plain old water in between.
Food and drink that’ll make you thirsty
Food
- Parsley, celery, asparagus, artichokes, and melons (diuretics)
- Cheese, beef, chicken, fish, beans, nuts, and pumpkin seeds (high-protein foods)
- Corn, beans, avocado, edamame, broccoli, almonds, wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal (high-fiber foods)
- Processed food, canned food, fast food, condiments, garlic dipping sauce (sodium)
Drink
- Alcohol, coffee, and black tea (diuretics)
- Sports drinks, fruit drinks, flavored water (contain lots of sugar)
- Carbonated drinks (limit these as they trick your brain into thinking it has more water than it actually does)
Stay hydrated my friends
Staying hydrated is more than drinking half your weight in ounces of water. It’s about eating and drinking the right stuff. Pay attention to what you’re consuming to refuel your body as it may do more harm than good.
About Chris Dunst
Journalist, educator, technophile, papa, husband, barefoot runner, outdoorsman, omnivore, captain of the obvious. When I’m not running or helping out with #Anywhere5K I’m busy with my actual job, family, and some other stuff.
