If you are looking to get fitter, lose weight, or simply live a healthy lifestyle, drinking plenty of water is crucial. But how much should you be drinking a day?
If you’re on a quest to get fit, lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, regular water intake is crucial.
Here’s some advice straight from the experts about how much water you should be drinking each day. Renowned dietician Orla Walsh recently set the record straight during a chat with RTE, stating: “Generally we need somewhere between 1.7 to 2.7 litres a day, because we do get some through our food and some from our break down of food into energy.”
She highlighted a common error people make, which is waiting until evening before they start hydrating themselves, reports the Irish Star.
To keep your body properly hydrated, she recommends evenly spaced hydration throughout the day starting from the moment you wake up, rather than guzzling it all down in one go.
NHS advice on daily water intake
Most people should aim to drink enough during the day so their pee is a clear pale yellow colour. The Eatwell Guide recommends that people should aim to drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day. Water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count.
You may need to drink more fluids if you’re:
- pregnant or breastfeeding
- in a hot environment
- physically active for long periods
- ill or recovering from illness
Children
The best drinks to give children are water and milk. Children can have pasteurised whole or semi-skimmed cows’ milk, or goats’ or sheep’s milk, as a main drink from the age of one.
Children should avoid sugary fizzy drinks, squash and juice drinks completely. Children who drink a lot of sugary drinks are more likely to become overweight. The added sugar in these drinks can also damage teeth.