DRINKING FLUIDS

Water is so important to life itself and yet we seem to ignore its status as life giver, thinking of food as the thing which sustains us. In fact we can last for weeks without food if only we have water; without water we could survive only a matter of days. Most of us tend to live day to day in a state of dehydration that can vary from slight to the point of dangerously severe. The time you feel thirsty is when you’re severely dehydrated and really need to get some fluids into your system.

An American study in the forties calculated that the recommended daily intake of water for an adult is 2 litres of water per day if you live in a temperate climate, this figure increasing as the temperature increases in hotter climates. Many people are aware of this statistic, but over the years the clarity of the message has been lost. Needing this much water each day doesn’t mean that you have to live life with a bottle of water in your hand. In fact the original study stated that the major portion of this daily intake of water comes from the water contained in food. Remember that fresh fruit and vegetables as well as meat and fish are composed mostly of water!

What you should think about, without getting preoccupied with the volume of the water is the kind of water you drink and when you should drink it. It doesn’t have to be expensive bottled water but it should be filtered and as pure as possible in order to make it safe to drink. The closer this water is to your body temperature when you drink it, the easier it is for your body to absorb so try to avoid filling the glass with ice.

It isn’t a good idea to drink a large quantity of water in one go.
Firstly, it can be uncomfortable and you shouldn’t be in the position of feeling that you are ‘forcing it down’.
Also, most of this large volume of water will simply pass straight through and you won’t get the benefit of the more gradual hydration given by smaller drinks of water throughout the day. In fact, some people who drink too much are actually flushing vital nutrients out of their body.

Try putting a glass of water or two in various strategic locations at home or at the office, and try and get into the habit of taking a swallow each time you pass it. The idea may need a little bit of adapting to your particular lifestyle but you can see that little and often is the general idea, giving your body the time to absorb all it needs.

There is no need to invest in isotonic health drinks or anything like that; water is best and cheaper. If you drink fruit or vegetable smoothies, they should not be classed as part of your fluid intake but part of your fruit and vegetable intake. I love fruit smoothies but personally I find the vegetable ones a little too much for my taste; I’d rather eat them as vegetables instead.

So you see you don’t have to put yourself through hell to achieve things. It’s a mixture of moderation and adaptation where necessary that will make everything seem so much easier.