Eat your way to hydration this festive season.

As we’re fast approaching the holiday season when the time for merriment, party-going, and dinner-attending is a non-negotiable, it’s important to keep our skin in tip-top condition by staying hydrated. ‘But how can we stay hydrated and join in with the festivities?’ The answer is a simple and positive one; eat your way to hydration.

The importance of h2O.

Essential for healthy organ function, digestion, nutrient absorption and delivery, along with improving our cognition and mood, having the recommended amount of daily water intake is crucial to our wellbeing. Not to mention our mental wellbeing. Did you know that the brain releases more ‘happy’ neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, when it’s adequately hydrated? Who knew?!

On average, women need around 1.5L of the good stuff per day, which may seem like an unachievable goal when socialising and celebrating, but luckily, hydrating foods can help with that.

The added perks of food-hydration.

Although it has the same name, the water we drink is quite different to the water ingested from certain foods. This is because in foods, water is surrounded by other molecules, along with both macro and micronutrients that help to efficiently deliver water to our cells, while making sure the water remains there. And according to registered dietician, Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, foods with 85% or higher water content are considered the most hydrating, which means they have the ability to replenish and boost our hydration status.

Top 6 dietician-approved hydrating foods to eat this festive season:

• Cucumber is considered THE most hydrating food, boasting a remarkable 96% overall water content, and 132g of water per cup. Although best known for bolstering salads, why not use it in the Greek speciality sauce Tzatziki to ramp-up your festive feasts.

• Celery contains a whopping 95% of water, along with potassium and fibre, making it the ideal dipping utensil for your Tzatziki, hummus, or other condiments.

• Tomatoes are also rich in fibre, containing 94% water content, along with disease-fighting antioxidants such as lycopene. Cherry tomatoes are ideal for adding to rich pasta dishes, hearty baguette sandwiches, and throwing into a warming salsa.

• Zucchinis are around 94% water, with 1 cup of cooked zucchini providing almost an entire 8oz glass of water! A truly diverse ingredient that can be incorporated into classics like burgers or mac n’ cheese, or even into delectable muffins and brownies.

• Cauliflower holds 92% of water, making it a fantastic alternative for making your own pizza bases, cauliflower chips, or even just having on the side of your roast dinner.

• Broccoli is another roast dinner staple, containing 90% water content, and perhaps the easiest to incorporate into festive meals. Think any pasta, rice, or noodle dish, roast veggie meal, or warming soup to keep the cold weather at bay.

Try to avoid:

Although we don’t want to sacrifice good food with health, it’s important to know which foods are likely to zap your hydration levels the quickest:

• Cured, deli meats
• Salty or sugary snacks such as crisps, pretzels, and biscuits
• Deep-fried foods
• Sugary drinks can cause a rise in sodium, because excess sugar in the blood draws more water from cells, depleting overall hydration levels
• Coffee and alcoholic beverages are diuretics, meaning you’ll be going to the bathroom more often, so don’t forget to re-hydrate!
• Too much protein may cause dysfunction in the kidneys in how they process water. Find out how much protein you need = bodyweight (kg) x 0.8g.

Our post-party hydration hacks that never fail to rejuvenate:

1. Drink water 5 minutes after waking to activate hydration levels for the day ahead, allowing your cells to promptly replenish and repair.
2. Remove yesterday's late-night makeup with our creamy, no-judgement, makeup-removing Come Clean Cleansing Gel for a post-party reset.
3. Slough away dead skin cells and tighten pores with our gently polishing Tonic Oh! Treatment Lotion to reveal a brand new, smooth and uniform complexion.
4. Refresh tired, dehydrated skin with our thirst-quenching, radiance-boosting Sevenly Delight Brightening Serum. Equipped with ultra-hydrating Chicory Root Extract, it’s a melanin-rich skin post-party dream.