Hydration HQ.

Sorry I've been a bit AWOL recently - I have my cousin over from the States so I've been playing my role as tourguide! I'm back now, however, and as it's apparently summer, I thought I'd do a little blog on staying hydrated!

Now I've always been a heavy drinker - of water that is. I constantly have a water bottle by my side, and my friends used to compare me to a plant that would wilt and die if my H2O levels weren't topped up! The recommended daily intake for adults is roughly between 1.5 - 2 litres, although this depends largely on your size and daily activity - for example, if you're 5ft and don't do heavy exercise, you aren't going to need to drown yourself in 2 litres of water a day! Weather conditions also effect your water requirements too; on hot days we lose a lot of fluids through sweat - add in exercise and you'll need to be drinking closer to 2L, rather than just say 1.

What many people don't realise is that the food and other drinks, apart from water, that we consume can contribute to our daily intake, which will make the possibly daunting figure of 2 litres a day a little easier to swallow. The main foodie sources of water are fruit and vegetables, as they are mostly water; your best friends in the hydration department are lettuce, celery and watermelon (the clue is in the name). In terms of drinks, whilst large quantities of strong tea and coffee can have a diuretic effect on our bodies, thus dehydrating us, a few cups actually do count - especially if it's green tea.

So how do we tell if we're getting enough water? Well, it's the two T's - thirst and toilet! Thirst is the body's first warning sign that your water levels are starting to run low, and (excuse the detail here) then the toilet, more specifically the colour of your urine, reveals the extent of the situation. It should be a light yellow, straw colour, and anything darker and verging on brown-ish means you really need to get some fluids into your system soon. Other signs of dehydration are dry lips, lack of concentration, and light-headedness.

This does not, however, mean you should flood your system and down 10 bottles of water. The body absorbs it better when consumed in small amounts, so aim for half a regular glass every half hour. A great idea to make sure that you're drinking enough water is to carry a large (ideally 2L, but I understand that's a bit big...) bottle of water with you wherever you go, and sip at it throughout the day. Have it in your bag, in your desk, next to the phone - wherever you like - and you'll soon start drinking more than you normally would without even noticing.

Staying hydrated is so important during the summer, and it has numerous health benefits - it keeps your digestive system healthy, your skin clear, and your brain sharp. Best of all, it's free and easy! We all spend money taking supplements and buying organic, and tend to forget the most simple way to stay healthy - Drink! If you find it too bland then you can try and mix in things like elderflower cordial or lemon juice, but just make sure they're low sugar mixers. So next time you go to the kitchen to get a Coke, stop for a second, and think about how much more good you will do for yourself by drinking a glass of water!

Nati xXx