If I had a penny for every time I read that the secret to some celebrity’s “flawless” skin/stomach/sleep patterns was simply pints upon pints of water, I’d be able to afford that posh water they sell in Harrods.
It’s no secret that we should probably opt for a glass of the clear stuff rather than an afternoon can of Fanta, but what do we really have to lose should the worst happen and we forgo our daily recommended intake? According to the NHS’ guidelines, we should be drinking an average of 6-8 glasses (1.2 litres) of fluid per day. You may be surprised to learn that coffee, tea and sugar-free drinks ALL count towards your daily intake. The British Dietetic Association suggests that in the UK, we typically receive 70-80 per-cent of our fluids via drinks, and the rest comes from foods such as soups, vegetables, stews and some fruits.
If we fail to meet our body’s requirements, dehydration ensues pretty quickly – hello morning-after breath and not being able to concentrate on the telly. The British Dietetic Association state that “drinking enough is vital to maintain good health in the short and long term, for example, for the prevention of constipation, kidney stones and urinary tract infections.
Good hydration can also prevent chronic renal disease. Although the BDA recommend choosing good, old tap water as your tipple of choice, they’re not particularly fussed where you get your fluid from – so long as it’s not swimming in sugar, that is.
” Tea and coffee provide water and can be a good way of keeping older adults well hydrated”, says the advice on the BDA website.
“Both fizzy and still soft drinks contain a lot of sugar and should only be drunk in small amounts. Fruit juices provide water and other nutrients and one serving counts towards your 5-a-day. However they contain sugar so it is best to drink fruit juice in moderation.”
According to GP Richard Ma, there are no strict rules as to how much of the wet stuff you should be drinking.
“All professionals say the same thing and that is; drink when you are thirsty!”
Yep, according to the doc, all that stuff about a quota of litres we have to reach in order to be perfectly hydrated is simple “a marketing ploy from the water companies”.
“There is no specific amount you should drink per day, your body will let you know when you are thirsty and when you are, you’ll drink. It comes out of a tap – there is absolutely no need to spend a fortune on these bottles of water,” he says.
Green tea also counts towards your daily fluid intake and it’s great for those who aren’t too keen on the taste of plain water. As for the so-called “health” benefits however, well, there aren’t any.
“I guess it’s a good alternative to tea and coffee because there is less caffeine and you don’t have to add sugar,” Dr Ma suggests, “in terms of therapeutic benefits and say, feeling different if you drink Green Tea, there’s nothing – you won’t feel any different.”
I spoke to Registered Dietitian, Luci Daniels, about how best to fit H2o into our daily dose of liquid. “The new Eatwell Guide advises 6-8cups or glasses of fluid per day”, she says, “suggested fluids include water as well as modest amounts of tea and coffee, fruit and herb teas, low fat milk, sugar free drinks and up to 150ml of fruit juice or smoothie per day.”
“You need to drink more if it’s particularly hot or if you’re taking on lots of exercise,” she adds. So if you’re not too keen on the taste of plain, old tap water, there’s still hope for you yet. Also, if you usually drink a couple of cups of tea per-day, there’s no need to waste your hard earned cash on one of those f**k-off 2 litre bottles of Evian. “You don’t have to just drink 1½ litres of neat water every day,” Luci re-iterates.
If you do like your coffee, however, Luci advises to keep watch on your caffeine intake. Up to 4-5 cups of a mixture of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee daily is a pretty good rule of thumb. Safe caffeine intake is “up to 400mg per day for most adults”, Luci says, “and 200mg when pregnant”. Typically, a standard mug of instant coffee contains around 100mg of caffeine, 140mg if it’s filter coffee. Cuppas usually contain a pretty small amount of the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug (weird, huh?) – usually around 75mg.
As for our digestion, can a lemon water really help move things along? “I have no idea why some advise this,” Luci says, “maybe it’s some fad from a health farm, or perhaps just a way to boost fluid intake.” Looks like your morning lemon water isn’t going to fill your body with fat-busting fairy dust – but it won’t kill you either.
If the worst was the happen and for some reason you didn’t manage to slurp up those 6-8 glasses on a particular day, your body will most likely let you know about it. “There is no fluid recommended daily allowance,” Luci tells me, “but not drinking enough can contribute to constipation, headaches and generally feeling a bit low.” If you’re still really not sure, Luci recommends taking a peek at your pee. “Dark pee often means inadequate fluid intake.”
It’s also worth taking into account that often, fluid has a tendency to “fill you up”. Perhaps why certain “diet” blogs advise you to increase fluid intake immediately before/during a meal. It’s not gluten that’s making you bloated babes, it’s probably those endless glasses of Evian. #Justsayin’. Oh and drink responsibly, obvs.
