Even if you’re making an attempt to stay better hydrated, you may be ingesting dehydrating substances without even realizing it.

Sodium is a big culprit

When you eat salty foods, your cells tell your brain that you’re thirsty. Examples of foods high in salt are fast foods, potato crisps, tinned foods, deli meats and condiments like tomato sauce (ketchup), mustard and salad dressing.

Sugary drinks also contribute

Much like salty foods, sugary drinks also tell your brain that you’re thirsty. Try to avoid these – fizzy, energy and sports drinks as well as over sugared coffees and cocktail drinks.

Instead of eating and drinking these dehydration-inducing foods and beverages, drink more water, and add these top superfoods to your diet for optimal health and antioxidant levels.

Blueberries

Yielding antioxidants, vitamin C and anti-inflammatory properties, a handful of these berries daily in season can do wonders.

Fatty fish

Fatty fish with omega-3s include salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Make sure that you only buy fish off the endangered list.

Soy

This does not mean using enough soy sauce to turn your sushi rice another colour. Soy sauce has an high sodium content. Clean and simple soy is recommended. Soy in this category includes tofu, soy milk, and edamame. Edamame, for the curious, are green soybeans boiled or steamed in their pods and it’s very trendy to be seen eating edamame.

Fibre

Some great options for getting more fibre in your body are:

1. Beans. Think three-bean salad, bean burritos, chili, soup.
2. Whole grains. That means whole-wheat bread, pasta.
3. Brown rice. White rice doesn’t offer much fibre.
4. Popcorn. It’s a great source of fibre.
5. Nuts. Almonds, pecans, and walnuts have more fibre than other nuts.
6. Baked potato with skin. It’s the skin that’s important here.
7. Berries. All those seeds, plus the skin, give great fibre to any berry.
8. Bran cereal. Actually, any cereal that has 5 grams of fibre or more in a serving counts as high fibre.
9. Oatmeal. Whether its microwaved or stove-cooked, oatmeal is good fibre.
10. Vegetables. The crunchier, the better.

Tea

The antioxidant powers of tea are present in both black and green tea. Try these tips on switching from fizzy drinks to water for the added effect of consuming more tea while you’re drinking less fizz.

Calcium-rich foods

Many health-conscious men and women tend to stay away from dairy products for fear that they contain fat, but calcium is necessary for the body. If you’re scared of the cheese and milk, take a calcium supplement.