HOW TO and WHY YOU SHOULD drink more water

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Do you get tired, cranky and hungry and often wonder why?

Symptoms of dehydration include:

  • Hunger
  • Irritability
  • Dry Skin
  • Tiredness
  • Confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Dry mouth
  • Urine is dark yellow

Life gets busy and it’s so easy to go the whole day only having a glass of water. We like to always carry a bottle with us wherever we go. Also, filling up a bottle to put on your desk for the day is a great way to make sure you get enought water. If it’s in front of you, you will drink it right? Water contains zero calories, no fat, no preservatives, no chemicals, no colours….sounds good doesn’t it.

My water jar that I fill up each morning and put on my desk. I adorne it with cute little things (such as my heart necklace) to draw my eye and make me drink drink drink

How to determine how much you need

As a guide, ADULTS need 0.035ml of FLUID per kilogram of bodyweight per day*. Say what?

So you times o.o35 x how much you weigh in kg.

  • For example: For a person that weighs 100 kg
  • 0.035 x 100 = 3.5 litres per day

Now, this includes any fluid you drink such as milk, juice, tea etc. So if you add up that you drink happen to drink 700ml of milk per day (on cereal, coffee/tea etc) then you don’t ALSO need to drink the 3.5 litres on top of that. Fruit and vegetables also contain fluid.

You will need more than this if you are exercising, in a physically demanding job, or hot weather.

This is also just a guide only. Please be aware that you can also drink too much water which can have serious consequences on your health. So a man requiring 3.5 litres per day shouldn’t necessarily drink 12 litres just to be healthy.

Tips for staying hydrated

  • Designate your own jar, bottle, cup for drinking water for the day ahead
  • Get a snazzy one to make you more likely to use it
  • Fill it up first thing in the morning
  • Calculate how much fluid you need and aim to get through this during the day
  • Take a water bottle with you wherever you go
  • Buy a bottle holder for the pram
  • If your car doesn’t have them, buy some cup holders for in the car
  • Try adding a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange juice to give it a fresh zingy flavour
  • Encourage children to drink water instead of juice and soft drink
  • When you arrive at a restaurant, go straight for the free water and drink it while you are dining
  • Part of the horrible feeling of a hangover is simple dehydration. When you wake up with a nasty head…drink drink drink WATER. Always have a glass before going to bed as well
  • When drinking alcohol, match each glass of alcohol with a glass of water to make sure you don’t become too dehydrated
  • Monitor your urine. As awful as it sounds, taking a peek at the colour of your urine is the best way to check if you are dehydrated. Check the colour chart below.

Stay happy and healthy…

The Nutrition Guru and The Chef

Drinking from a jar bigger than my head

Please note: the information presented in this article is for general health information only. If you require individual advice, please consult your General Practitioner.

*Reference: Griffith Handbook of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics 3rd Edition

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