We know that it’s important to drink water (roughly 1/2 your body weight in ounces is a good starting point), but did you know that eating water is just as important?

That’s because the water found inside plants is different from plain tap water. It’s infused with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and electrolytes which allows your body to absorb it more deeply and better utilize it. This results in a more cellular-level hydration that can help you be more alert, think faster and feel more energized.

Optimum hydration is achieved through a combination of hydration, eating plants, consuming water at the right time of day, and movement, which helps disperse the fluid you consume throughout your body’s fascial system

Below is a list of some of our most hydrating fruits and vegetables. These lists serve as a great starting point if you’d like to start eating your water. Simply keep these handy and try to consume more of these hydrating plants each day. Here are a few of my favorite tips for hydrating eating:

• Add spinach! Chop up fresh spinach leaves and stir it into your pasta or soup. When we make pizza I top it with at least 2 cups of spinach before putting in the oven. In any of these dishes it will reduce down and is barely noticeable, but you get a great serving of greens.
• Offset dehydrating foods with hydrating foods (make a side salad to go with your pasta, eat an apple while you wait for the pizza to be delivered).
• Learn to make better salads! I did an entire blog post about How to Make Salads that Don’t Suck  and it’s a gamechanger.
• Try making gazpacho! Gazpacho is a blended soup that you can eat warm or cold. Here’s my favorite recipe for Tomato + Apple Gazpacho.
• Stir fry! Simply sautee any of your favorite vegetables in olive oil, then toss them with my recipe for The Magic Sauce. Serve it over brown rice, cauliflower rice, or greens!
• Try zoodles instead of noodles. A simple julienne peeler can help you turn zucchini into “zoodles”. Use them as a replacement for noodles in any of your favorite recipes. I recommend a julienne peeler over any of the “zoodle machines”. They are cheaper, easier to use, take up less space, and produce a better result in my opinion. I have this one. I also like to mix zucchini in with noodles like penne or rigatoni. Just chop the zucchini into pieces that are similar in size to your noodle of choice. Stir-fry it in olive oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until semi-tender. Mix 50/50 with the noodles and top/finish as normal.
• Try lettuce wraps! I love this Ginger Cashew Lettuce Wrap recipe from Simply Scratch.
• Make cauliflower rice. You can use it as a substitute for rice in any of your favorite recipes. I follow these directions from The Minimalist Baker.

Want to learn more about How to Achieve Optimum Hydration? Click here for my full blog post and podcast episode. Need reminders to drink water snuck right into your Instagram Feed? Be sure to follow along at @HeyYouDrinkWater!