How much water should I drink?
The recommended amount for the average healthy person is: 2 Litres/4 pints (8 average sized glasses) per day.
It is best to sip the water, spacing out the amount throughout the day so that you drink steadily, rather than gulping down a few glasses at once.
If you are not drinking enough water, start by drink gradually, adding a little more each day until you reach the recommended amount.
You should not exceed more than two pints per hour.
Thirst is an indication that you are already dehydrated, so drink water even when you do not feel thirsty – “…Make it a good habit!”
Filtered Water – Whenever possible only drink filtered tap water, and use this for boiling kettles too. Carbon-activated jug filters are inexpensive and remove sediment, chlorine and rust but not the healthy minerals such as potassium and calcium.
Water from bottles – Try to drink only from glass bottles (to avoid any contamination from the plastic, this should be rare but it is possible), sourced from the local area to avoid travel pollution. And don’t drink from a plastic bottle that has been sitting in the sun. Chemicals are prone to leaching from warm plastics.
Don’t drink carbonated water if you are prone to gas or bloating.
Don’t drink tonic water or commercial fruity/sugared waters: they don’t cleanse the body and are high in calories. (Obviously this isn’t the case when it’s mixed with Gin. I joke here, but we all have to have some treats).
Soda water contains sodium salts and carbon dioxide, so avoid if you can.
Symptoms of mild dehydration – These include chronic pain in joins and muscles, lower back pain, dry itchy skin, headaches and constipation. An easy way to check that you are drinking enough water (providing you are not on certain medications) is to check the colour of your urine. Your urine should be transparent and pale yellow/straw colour. The darker the colour and stronger the odour the more dehydrated you are. We would always recommend that you seek advice from your doctor if you are worried about any of these symptoms.
So drink clean good water regularly thought the day even if you don’t feel thirsty.
Drink Water – “…Make it a good habit!”
Thank you for reading.
Wendy x
Source: Elizabeth Peyton-Jones, Hildon Water, Wendy O’Hare