How do you know if you’re getting enough water?

Water is  up to 60% of our body weight

Most people follow the minimum amount of 2 l per day, but we can actually be more specific than that.

It should be a minimum of 35ml of water per kilo of bodyweight, so a person weighing 100kilos would need 3.5l of water per day, and more if exercising and sweating.

Thirst is a sign the body is dehydrated, so we should be drinking before we’re thirsty.

Water helps keep our bodies cells, nice and plump, and often when people don’t drink enough water it’s because of a few reasons; 

• They confuse thirst with hunger and eat rather than drink
• They don’t have access to toilets
• They have a small bladder, which means multiple visits to the toilet
• They don’t like the taste of water.

Then there’s the thing on when should you drink it?

Ideally it should be 2 hours after food or 30 minutes before food. However, if the only time water is drunk  is at meals, I say drink it, unless you suffer with tummy problems.

There’s lots of ways to remember to drink water, from water apps, using a snazzy bottle, doing what my daughter does, 2 glasses on waking, 2 glasses when in the lunch queue at school, 2 glasses at 4.30pm when she gets in, and 2 glasses before dinner, to having a beautiful jug in the kitchen with infused herbs such as mint, or a long slice of cucumber to flavour the water. Remember, whatever you see on your kitchen worktop or desk, is what you’re likely to reach for!

If you’re thirsty at night, it could be a sign that your liver is working hard, so take a look at your diet and alcohol intake. Let’s not forget that alcohol, and caffeinated drinks create dehydration  and this can be a particular issue for those ladies with osteoporosis , and this also increases calcium loss from the bones.

Lastly, extreme thirst can be a sign of diabetes. if you think this maybe the case make an appointment with your doctor especially if there’s a family history of diabetes.