Friday 15 October 2010

The simple way to drink enough water each day


For those of you who have been reading Mummy Zen since the beginning, this will seem like a re-post but I lost the original post when I had a problem backing up my website last year. I think it's a good subject to bring up again....

I've barely been drinking any water over the last couple of weeks. I can tell that I've been affected by it too. I've been drinking more hot drinks that normal, probably because I've been a bit dehydrated and I've been eating more rubbish (namely chocolate and biscuits!), even though I've not been hungry. I also just feel a bit sluggish and I still haven't completely shaken off a recent cold.

It's recommended that we drink 6-8 large glasses of water every day. That sounds like a lot but I have a great system for getting those glasses down without really noticing it. I've realised I need to follow my own advice and start drinking more water in a day. This is how I'm going to consume my daily 6-8 glasses:

- Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. (= 1)

- Drink a glass before each meal. (= 3)

- Drink a glass before bed. (= 1)

That's 5 glasses already. To make up the other 1-3, it's always good to drink some water whenever you feel hungry or before having a mid-morning/afternoon snack. If you're exercising, you'll probably want a glass or two after working out. Et voilĂ !

Let's remind ourselves of some benefits of drinking water:

  • Keeping hydrated helps steer clear of headaches, dry skin and some other complaints.

  • It flushes out toxins, helping to fight against colds and flu.

  • It helps keep a healthy heart because if you're dehydrated your blood gets thicker, meaning the heart has to work even harder.

  • It can aid weight loss by flushing down by-products of fat breakdown and can reduce your appetite.

  • Better concentration. Your brain is made up of around 85% water so keeping hydrated keeps it energised and means you are more alert.

  • An energy boost. As well as your brain, your muscles, bones and blood are made up of a significant amount of water. Not staying hydrated results in those not functioning as effectively and that makes you feel lethargic.
I find it can be especially hard to make yourself drink water in the winter when it's cold and you feel like something warm and comforting. Some people get around that by drinking hot water, sometimes with a bit of lemon. I will often drink a glass of water before having a hot drink.

Are you good about drinking enough water each day? Do you find that you are physically or mentally affected if you're not drinking enough?
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3 comments:

  1. I can definitely tell a difference when I'm not drinking enough water too! While on holiday this was hard to do. Water is so much better for my skin and even my mental health/energy!

    I like your approach - very practical and good reminders. I read recently about squeezing some lemon into a morning glass of water (something about stimulating the body's cleansing/detox process).

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  2. Not drinking enough water definitely affects me! In the winter rather than drinking lots of tea and coffee I often have fruit tea - lemon and ginger is a favourite of mine at the moment.

    As there's no caffeine in them (I believe at least) it counts towards your daily water intake :)

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