Getting into the water habit..

So we know why drinking enough water is beneficial but how much water is “enough” and how do we get into the habit of making sure we’re getting the right amounts..?

‘Tis a little thing

To give a cup of water; yet its draught

Of cool refreshment, drain’d by fever’d lips,

May give a shock of pleasure to the frame

More exquisite than when nectarean juice

Renews the life of joy in happiest hours.

Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd (English dramatist, poet and jurist)

(1795–1854), Ion (act I, sc. 2), (Sonnet III)

So how much is enough?

Unfortunately, the old advice of “8 glasses per day” is now debatable. How much water an individual requires will depend on…well….the individual and their environment.

Obviously, things like hot weather and exercise are likely to make you sweat more and as such, that fluid will need to be replaced. Similarly, if you’re losing fluid through other ways (if you’re sick for example), then it’s important to replace the fluid and stay hydrated.

Your body weight also influences how much water you need — after all, if your body is made up of approximately 60–70% water, then it makes sense that the bigger your body is, the more water it needs! An oft quoted rule of thumb is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 160lbs, drink 80oz (approx. 2.2 litres) of water each day.

There is currently no agreed recommended daily intake level for water in the UK, estimates range from approximately 1.2 litres to 3.1 litres per day.

It’s also worth remembering that your water intake won’t only be from drinking water. Water in other drinks will also count (but for maximum benefits, a decent proportion should be from pure unadulterated water!). Water will also be found in the food you eat. Increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables; they have a high water content, as well as many other health benefits.

Finally, listen to your body. We’ve already discussed how by the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Don’t get it let to that stage. Keep an eye on your urine (sorry! But it really is one of the most effective indicators!). You should be urinating frequently and with light colour. Basically, if your urine is more custard or mustard than very pale straw coloured — then you really need to up your water intake!

How can I drink more water?

So now we have an idea of how much we need to drink and we know why it’s good for us to drink enough. So why is it that so many people just don’t do it? You need to form a water habit. Trust me, as habits go, it’s not a bad one!

If, say, you’re aiming for 2 litres a day, consider filling a litre bottle of water for home and a litre bottle for your desk at work. Your mission (should you chose to accept it), is to get through both bottles by the end of the day. Make it part of your daily routine –

1. A glass upon waking
2. One after your first coffee at work
3. A glass just before lunch (remember it’s appetite suppressant qualities — it may stop you pigging out!)
4. A glass with/after lunch (remember the benefits for the digestive system)
5. A glass mid afternoon (help combat the fatigue associated with that mid afternoon dip)
6. A glass when you get back from work
7. One before dinner (for the same reasons as lunch)
8. Another after dinner/before bed

Obviously, you’ll need more if you’re exercising, or are ill or if the weather is very hot.

See? Easy… It takes, on average, about 20–30 days to form a new habit so until that point, it might be worth setting a reminder on your phone/laptop or put a few post it notes somewhere you’ll definitely see it at the relevant times (on the kettle, or in your bathroom for example). It might even be worth keeping a log/track of your water intake for a few days so you can see which glasses you’re missing out or even where you could fit more in, if you feel your body needs it.

If you’re out and about or away from the office/home, then make sure you have bottles of water in the car to drink.

Remember guys, straw not mustard!

Visit www.theofficesuppliessupermarket.com for all your office water needs.

This article originally appeared in:

http://www.theofficesuppliessupermarket.com/articles/getting-into-the-water-habit