Thanks to the ridiculous heat of summer, it's a constant struggle to make sure you're sipping steadily throughout the day to stay hydrated. Personally, there are only so many glass of water I can drink before I'm craving something more interesting. If you can relate, stick with me for a sec, because I'm going to suggest something a little out there: plant-based water. Now, if you've had coconut water, you've already tried a plant-based bev, and believe it or not, there are so many other types of unique plant drinks to taste. But are plant-based waters better for you than regular water? It turns out they can be major sources of important nutrients, but according to some experts, you still need to drink some of the regular stuff, too.
Be careful if you're thinking about swapping all of your plain water for fancier stuff. According to naturopathic physician and certified nutritionist Dr. Pamela Reilly, while plant-based waters do provide nutrients that plain water cannot, cutting regular H2O out of your life completely isn't a good idea. "I always encourage my clients to ask themselves whether they would pour the beverage into their car's radiator," Reilly tells Elite Daily over email. "If their vehicle won't run well on something other than purified water, neither will they. I recommend not using plant waters for more than half the purified water they should be drinking."
The key here is to keep things as natural as possible. Dr. Reilly suggests steering clear of additives like sugars, corn syrup, artificial flavorings, and synthetic vitamins and minerals. And speaking of those additives, registered dietitian and holistic nutritionist Kristen Morrell echoes Dr. Reilly's warning: She tells Elite Daily that some additives, even the ones that are labeled as "natural flavorings," are sometimes derived from seriously weird places, like the anal glands of beavers. Yum, right? Thankfully, plenty of plant-based waters are anal-gland-free, and full of good-for-you stuff. Here's a guide to some of them to get you started.