Hydration - simple ways to increase your water intake

Many of us struggle to meet our daily water intake requirements from time to time.

Perhaps we forget to drink, or we don’t physically feel like drinking. Maybe we limit drinking to avoid trips to the bathroom. Research shows that nearly 80% of Aussies are not drinking enough water. And, our bodies need water for a range of essential functions.

Water helps our bodies to:

aid digestion
absorb nutrients
get rid of waste products
regulate body temperature.

Even mild dehydration can affect our mental and physical performance.

What is dehydration?

Dehydration is when your body doesn't have enough water to keep it working properly. You get dehydrated when you lose too much fluid from your body and don’t replenish it through food and drink.

Some of the signs of dehydration are:

thirst
dry mouth, lips and tongue
headache
passing less urine than usual
dizziness or light-headedness, particularly as you move from sitting to standing.

Healthdirect Australia has produced this helpful infographic:

Use this urine colour chart to assess how hydrated you are. It is important to drink plenty of water every day to stay healthy.

1 to 2: Hydrated

Pale, odourless and plentiful urine is often an indication that you are well hydrated.
Keep drinking at the same rate.

5 to 6: Dehydrated

Medium-dark yellow urine is often an indication that you are dehydrated.
Drink 2-3 glasses of water now.

3 to 4: Mildly dehydrated

Slightly darker yellow urine can indicate that you need to drink more water.
Drink a glass of water now.

7 to 8: Very dehydrated

Darker, strong-smelling urine in small amounts can be a sign of dehydration.
Drink a large bottle of water immediately.

Important: The colour on this chart should be only used as a guide and should not
replace the advice of a health professional. Speak to your doctor if you are worried of your
urine, the amount of water you drink or dehydration.
Source:www.healthdirect.gov.au

Remember that Berocca products contains vitamin B2 (riboflavin) which can make your urine a deeper yellow colour. That’s because B vitamins are water-soluble. Anything that your body does not need is passed out in the urine.

It's easy to not get enough water

You’ll find it’s pretty easy to get dehydrated. The usual dehydration culprits are:

strenuous exercise, especially in hot weather
severe vomiting or diarrhoea
fever
drinking too much alcohol
not drinking enough water

You may need to be careful about your water intake if you are taking certain medications, or if you have some medical conditions. You can ask your doctor to guide you.

Quote –What can change the colour of my urine?

How much water should I drink?

Generally, men need about 10 cups of fluids every day and women need about 8 cups. We can get about one-fifth of the daily water we need from food. We can get the rest from drinking water.

Good hydration depends on several factors:

how your individual metabolism works
what the temperature is
what you eat
your age
if you have certain medical conditions.

Healthy hydration: upping your daily water intake

Concerned about your daily water intake? You could try:

carrying a drink bottle with you (a large bottle with a measurement guide can help you keep track)
sleeping with a glass of water next to your bed
drinking a cup when you wake up
swapping a cup of tea, coffee or drinks that contain caffeine for a glass of water (caffeine can be dehydrating as it makes you go to the toilet more often)
always having water on the table when you’re eating.

Australian tap water is a great choice as it’s free, tastes good and is usually safe. If it doesn’t suit your palate, you could try flavouring water with lemon, strawberries, mint or 1 tablet of Berocca per day. What will you try to improve your daily water intake?