Why is it important to stay hydrated?

We know that water is essential for life and we need to ensure that we're getting the right amount of fluid in a day for our body to function properly.

Water carries electrolytes and minerals and is involved in many bodily functions including

• circulation

• removal of the waste in urine

• lubricant in joints

• control of body temperature

• helps in prevention of constipation, kidney stones & UTIs (urinary tract infections)

Keeping hydrated is the first step that you can do toward your overall health.

If we don't drink enough water we may experience symptoms such as

• tiredness

• dizziness

• headache

• mood changes & poor concentration

• dry mouth

• altered body temperature control

The colour of your urine should be a good guide whether you are hydrated enough. Your urine should be pale yellow or straw colour.

There are many factors that influence the amount of water that we need - our size, our activity level (loss of fluid through sweat), the climate and temperatures (loss of fluid due to heat and humidity), our diet, fever, diarrhoea or kidney disease.

We often use thirst as our indicator that we need to drink. However, when the thirst kicks in, we are already mildly dehydrated. That's why it is important to hydrate throughout the day.

This is especially important with an elderly population where the thirst response isn't as strong as in younger people, and very young children who may not be able to tell you or are too distracted to pay attention to it.

How to increase hydration?

• Have a regular drink throughout the day - use a refillable water bottle, keep it visible the whole time, so you remember to drink it

• Set a reminder to drink water

• Drink a large glass of water when you first get up

• Reduce tea & coffee and replace with herbal teas - caffeine in tea & coffee act as diuretics increasing fluid loss from the kidneys contributing to dehydration

• Alcohol may also make you dehydrated by increasing urination, so if drinking alcoholic drinks it is important to increase water intake

I personally have never been very good at drinking just water and struggled to have enough in a day. My solution was to add natural flavour in the water such as lemon, cucumber, berries and my favourites

• fresh mint leaves with lemon

• freshly grated ginger

This will not just increase the flavour of your water but add extra benefits from aiding digestion, increasing antioxidants, fighting cold & flues ect.

We can also increase hydration through our diet

• increasing fruit & vegetables in the diet

• increasing consumption of soups, stews, smoothies

• fresh juices - great way to boost your vitamins & antioxidants but can be loaded with sugars so its wise to consume sensibly

• organic kefir - adds extra benefits of probiotics, calcium, B vitamins, iodine & protein

• plant based milk- almond, coconuts, oat etc. Delicious on its own or as a hot chocolate or matcha latte

Daily recommendation of fluid intake is from 1.5 - 2 L per day depending on the factors mentioned above.