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Food | Health | Nutrition
Why Water Alone Is Not Enough to Keep You Hydrated
And how eating foods that contain gel water can lead to “deeper” hydration
Drinking lots of water every day may help you stave off thirst, but is it enough to keep you hydrated and healthy? According to biology professor, sports nutrition specialist, and director of the Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus David Nieman, water is not absorbed well by the digestive system when it is “not accompanied by food or nutrients.” In a Time magazine article entitled “Why Drinking Water All Day Is Not the Best Way to Stay Hydrated,” Nieman argues against guzzling lots of plain water, saying “There’s no virtue to that kind of consumption.”
Luckily there is a way to increase your hydration in a much more sustainable — and many would argue enjoyable — way than pounding down a gallon of H20 on a daily basis. The key is H302 — gel water. Also known as structured water, ordered water, liquid crystalline water, and living water, gel water is found in certain foods, including a number of fruits and veggies you may already eat on a regular basis. Simply increasing your intake of such foods could help improve your overall level of hydration.