Date posted 22 Aug 2018
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Why you should be drinking water and staying hydrated!

Water is something that many of us in the western world take for granted. With water being so accessible it’s extremely unusual that most of us don’t take advantage of it!

Let me give you 3 fun facts about water in relation to our bodies

Fun fact number 1: Water makes up approximately 60% of our body!

Yes, more than half of our body is made up of water!

Fun fact number 2: Approximately 75% of our brain is made up of water! That’s three quarters of our brain. If your brain is running without being hydrated you may be running at just a quarter of its capacity!

Fun fact number 3: The average human can survive for approximately 30 days without any food. The average human will only last 10 days without water!

Have I made you think yet? If not, perhaps you’re dehydrated and your brain isn’t allowing you to process this information. As well as being a major part of our biological make up, drinking water has many benefits.

Some of these include:

  • Promotes weight loss (we feel less hungry when we are well hydrated)
  • Removes waste through sweat and urination (Less chance of kidney stones, Urinary tract infections)
  • Improves skin (Keeps skin hydrated, reduces wrinkles, keeps it smooth)
  • Boosts immune system ( Drinking plenty helps to fight against flu and other ailments)
  • Prevents cramps (when muscles are hydrated and lubricated they are less likely to seize or cramp up)
  • Reduces headaches
  • Improves mood (when your body is functioning at its best you’ll feel happier and more productive)

So how much water should you be drinking?

We have a few guidelines for you but first you need to remember that everyone’s body is different so amounts will vary from person to person. Intake will also vary depending on temperature and exercise. If it’s hot and you’re sweating more you’ll need to drink more. If you’re exercising more you’ll also need to drink more.

With all this being said, here are some rough guidelines of what your water intake should be. The institute of medicine recommend females drink approximately 2.7 litres of water per day and men 3.7 litres a day. This may sound a little daunting initially but we must remember that many of the foods we eat contain a certain amount of water. As well as the other liquids we may drink throughout the day.

A good target is to aim for 2 litres of pure water throughout the day. Many of us don’t even consume this amount so this will be a good place to start.

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