Water, water, everywhere

It is an irritating fact that we lose our thirst as we get older – difficult when we are trying to do all the things that improve our health. Most people are aware of the recommended 8 glasses of water a day (about 2 litres), but many find this a struggle to achieve; thirst really helps here!

We can tend to confuse hunger with thirst and so should really make a habit to drink even if we don’t think we are thirsty – this can really help to curb an excessive hunger that can lead to weight gain.

The human body is approximately 65% water, and if you think how much we lose through sweat and urine, you will appreciate the need to put it back in. We also use up water very quickly for all body processes; water carries nutrients and oxygen into the cells, promotes good digestion, lubricates the joints and helps to slow the aging process. Drinking good quality water can help prevent most conditions, including kidney stones, constipation, arthritis, obesity, hypoglycaemia – just for starters.

This should not include drinks laden with sugar: read the labels of seemingly ‘healthy’ drinks, and the high sugar content soon becomes obvious. Sugar will also dehydrate the body as we urinate more to try to eliminate it. Any soft drinks or caffeinated drinks such as coffee or tea actually cause us to lose water, so essentially they increase our need for water!

It seems easier to just drink pure water in the first place. If you are used to a bit of sweetness and need some motivation, then dilute fruit juices (half juice, half water) or buy the higher juice squashes (look in the healthy section of supermarkets) and use sparingly. You can get used to pure water by slowly reducing the amount of sugar you add over several weeks. You can drink some sparkling, but still is better and definitely avoid sparkling water around meal times as it can have a negative effect on digestion.

Fruit and herbal teas are a good way to achieve your 2 litres and also reduce dehydrating caffeine. People often avoid water in winter because of the cold - hot drinks stop us using up energy to heat the liquid to body temperature. Try a variety of teas from the supermarket or health food shop, and as a mug of herbal tea is equivalent to a glass of water you will see that you can soon add up your daily quota!

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For more information check out one of our favourite Straight-talking nutritionist Gillian McKeith