We all know we should drink lots of water every day but let’s consider why and how much. Seeing as our bodies are made up of 76% (ish) of water then it stands to reason that it’s a fairly important element for our overall health. We need to replenish and refresh it……I liken it to a pond, if there isn’t a fresh supply coming in, the water is eventually going to go stale and smelly…….. and life (other than interesting looking, slightly scary bacteria and vegetation) will cease to want to live there.

Plenty of health experts agree that the correct amount to drink daily is half your body weight in fluid ounces, which works out at approximately 8 glasses. Obviously that is too general for every day, as your needs will vary depending on your individual make -up, metabolism, activity level and the surrounding environment that you find yourself in at any one time. For instance, a body undergoing vigerous exercise in extreme heat (sounds painful!) will require much more fluid to stay hydrated that one sitting still in cool conditions. I know this sounds totally obvious but it is surprising how many people get caught out by this, our bodies don’t always register ‘thirst’ and the only signs we may be aware of are a headache or feeling very tired. Unfortunately when this happens, many people take a pain killer for the headache and think they are getting old because they are tired!

Dehydration can cause SO many complaints from dark circles under the eyes, fatigue, aches and pains, poor skin, brain fog, lack of concentration and alertness…..just a few common ones. The body uses electrical impulses to communicate messages such as thought’s and pain alerts – we all know how well electricity is able to travel through water, so consider the efficiency of brain waves in a body that is full of fresh pure water as oppose to the dehydrated stagnant version…..!

There are times when it’s not obvious why we are looking or feeling ‘off colour’ but as a starting place for recovery, it’s always worth having a few glasses of water and feeling the effects. Take water to work with you, in the car, have it by your bedside, make it a mission to increase your intake and feel the difference it  can make.

It needs to be good quality filtered water, not the chemical cocktail that comes out of most people’s taps. Make it a the daily discipline of getting up in the morning and starting the day with a glass of water – I always have mine warm (mixture of boiling water and cold) as I find cold water makes me feel cold and I love to be warm! Warm water is very cleansing –  it’s like the difference between washing your hands in warm or cold water, the dirt comes away a little easier with warm. Best not to down a glass of cold water straight after a meal, it’s a shock to the system and dilutes the digestive juices, sipping hot drinks after food if you must is much kinder to your body.

Make drinking water a habit, the more you drink the more you will feel thirsty, as the bodies senses start waking up. There has been the odd person that has overdone the job and literally drowned their cells but that is not a common problem. The side effects of being hydrated are all so positive………Cheers !