Avoid These Surprising Foods When You’re Dehydrated

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Plenty of us have a difficult time drinking enough water each day as it is without random foods negating all of our hard work. The worst part? Plenty of the dehydration culprits on this list are extremely good for you otherwise — more than half of them are vegetables! So take a deep breath and just make a mental note of these foods to avoid when you’re already dehydrated because they definitely won’t make you feel better in the short term.

Celery

These water-rich stalks have a natural diuretic effect, meaning they encourage your body to eliminate more water at a quicker rate, thus leaving you more susceptible to dehydration.

Chocolate

Cocoa contains caffeine, which is a powerful stimulant and diuretic found in other common dehydration culprits like coffee. (Its sugar content doesn’t do you any hydration favors, either.) So if you’re trying to up your water intake, keep your chocolate consumption on the lower end.

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White Asparagus

Yes, white asparagus is full of good-for-you nutrients, but it’s also loaded with aspartic acid, which is another natural diuretic that can cause dehydration by encouraging renal activity.

Soda

Just because it’s liquid doesn’t mean it’s hydrating! Sugary drinks create an acidic environment in the body, which can reduce enzyme function and put additional strain on your kidneys, using even more of your body’s water storage to perform normal tasks.

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Artichokes

This veggie also has strong diuretic properties, so if you’re struggling to put enough water into your body, avoid artichokes because they’ll flush out what you do have that much faster.

Protein Powder

People following a high-protein diet can end up chronically dehydrated because the body has to use more water to metabolize the naturally occurring nitrogen in protein, and that process depletes cells of their water content. Too much meat, fish or protein powder can leave you feeling seriously blah if you don’t drink enough water to tip the scales the other way.

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Beets

This bright pink superfood is amazing for your health, but beets, too, have diuretic properties. They not only wash out the liver more frequently, but also contain a fair amount of potassium that encourages excess fluid elimination from the body as well.

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