Video transcript
Do you drink enough water? Statistically speaking, probably not. About 1 in 5 people in the UK do not drink any water on a regular basis. The majority of people, especially those that I meet in the gym, are dehydrated at any given moment.
With our modern lifestyles we are so busy, quick and moving around that we just forget to maintain our basic needs. More importantly, a lot of people confuse thirst with hunger.
When they get that craving they’ll often go for something sweet, quick and fast, rather than just a glass of water.
How can we ensure that we drink enough water?
The best way to do it is to use some trigger actions to make it habitual. For example, whenever I brush my teeth I will drink half a pint of water. Meaning I get a pint and a half every single day.
I will also have a pint of water with every single meal. If I’m eating the typical three meals a day, I’ll automatically get through four and a half pints a day. That’s a pretty good amount of water, although I could probably use more.
How about the alternatives to water?
One of my favourite things to rag on here, fizzy drinks won’t hydrate you like water does. Nothing really works the same as water.
Think about all of the harm you are doing to your body by drinking a can of fizzy drink. It’s pumped full of additives, it’s pumped full of colouring and one can contains over half of the sugar that the World Health Organisation recommends you have in a day. This one can of measly liquid is more than half your sugar for the day. Before you even eat any food!
You may be one of the people that drinks pints of this stuff, or of energy drinks, every single day. It’s not just fizzy drinks. Coffee chains have their ridiculous shortbread latte.
You should also consider putting sugar in a normal coffee or tea. If we’re drink a lot of sugar, you are doing yourself a disservice. If you could measure what that is doing to your body you’d probably cut back.
Another side to consider is the drinks that contain caffeine are diuretics as well, meaning they will dehydrate us further. If you are sitting there and think “I might not drink a lot of water, but I drink a lot of tea” then bad news for you, your are probably still severely dehydrated.
If you are experiencing cramps, headaches, irritability or general fuzziness and lack of clarity, there’s a good chance you need more water. It’s one of the easiest ways for people to improve their overall health, bar none. So, make sure you are drinking enough water. Nice and simple!
