Water

Drinking enough water is a key element for maintaining your health and general well-being. Increasing your daily intake of water helps keep your skin looking vibrant and younger, aids digestion, improves your concentration and helps to remove toxins from your body.

How do I increase my daily water intake?

• Start the day with a cup of hot water with a good squeeze of fresh lemon. This will give your digestive system a real boost.
• Instead of caffeine and alcohol, drink water. Caffeine and alcohol act as diuretics and cause the body to lose water.
• Throughout the day have water constantly available; keep a water bottle on your desk so you can top up your glass throughout the day and carry a bottle of water with you when you are on the go.
• Create a daily schedule; drink a glass after breakfast, one before lunch etc. You may want to track your water intake, why not download our pop up and screen saver to ensure that you drink enough water!
• If you are cold, drink warm water instead of coffee or tea which can dehydrate you.
• Ask for a glass of water to go with your coffee and tea in Cafes.
• Drink a glass of water before and during each meal.
• Don’t forget to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables as these have a high water content and will contribute to your daily water intake.

Feeling peckish, snacking all the time?

• Have a glass of cold water when you start to feel hungry. People often confuse mild feelings of thirst with mild hunger.
• Eat more fruit and vegetables each day. They are good for you and are 80-90% water by weight.

Feeling incomplete?

• Your body is 50-60% water. Drinking 6-8 glasses a day helps your body function properly.

Unable to concentrate?

• When you are dehydrated your attention and concentration can decrease by 13% and short term memory by 7%. Drinking 6-8 glasses a day helps to improve your concentration.

Are you getting enough?

• Drink water even when you don't feel thirsty; by the time you feel thirsty your body has lost between 2 and 5 cups of water!
• A handy way to check if you are drinking enough water; pinch the back of your hand whilst resting it on a flat surface. When you release the pinch, the skin should snap back into place. If it is slow in doing this, you are probably dehydrated.
• Another simple way to check that you are drinking enough fluid is to check the colour of your urine. The more transparent it is, the more hydrated you are. You should seek to produce urine that is 'very pale yellow', 'pale yellow' or 'straw coloured'.

Enjoy doing a lot of exercise?

• Drinking water before any physical activity will help keep your heart rate and body temperature lower.

Like to sing or talk a lot?

• Drinking water helps to preserve your voice function and quality.

Is water a beauty product?

• Water is the ultimate beauty product; dehydrated skin looks older than it is. Drink lots to keep your skin looking younger and more vibrant.

Looking forward to summer?

• When the weather gets hotter your body loses more water. You should drink additional water each day to compensate for this loss.

Trying to lose weight?

• Water can help with dieting. Drinking water often curbs the appetite and it is calorie free.

Enjoy drinking coffee and tea?

• Caffeine is a diuretic and can lead to dehydration and reduce your stimulus to drink. As a guide caffeinated drinks should not count as part of your daily fluid intake requirement. Why not drink a glass of water with your tea or coffee?

How much water should I drink every day?

• The amount you should drink each day depends on several factors including climate, physical activity and diet. The UK Food Standards Agency recommends that "in a moderate climate, such as the UK, we need to drink at least 6/8 cups/glasses of water (or other fluid) to prevent dehydration. In hotter climates your body will need more fluids. This means approximately 2.5 litres a day for the average person." Why not have a go at our hydration calculator to work out how much you should be drinking?
• Water in food also contributes to your daily water intake. Fruit and vegetables are 80-90% water by weight so are a must in your daily routine.

Is drinking water the only way to meet my daily water needs?

• No. Drinking water is a low-cost, calorie-free way of increasing the amount of water available to your body. It is also kind to teeth. However, water also comes from the food that we eat and other drinks we consume. Fruit and vegetables are particularly good as a source of water so make sure that you include them in your daily diet.

Suffering from heartburn?

• Drinking 1-2 glasses of tap water is a simple and effective treatment.

Can I really drink too much water?

• Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication.  Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under the age of six months and sometimes in athletes. The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen litres of water a day so you are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink it over time as opposed to drinking an enormous volume at one time.
• The key is to ensure that you remain well-hydrated but not over hydrated

Need more convincing?