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Keeping your body well
hydrated by drinking
regularly throughout the
day is an essential part
of staying healthy.
How well do you think
you are doing?
Simple steps to help you
keep hydrated and feel better
Useful information and
hints and tips to guide you
know?
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Page 3
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Which statement best describes you?
A
On an average day I drink about
4-6 glasses of water
B
Some days I drink less than others when
I am busy or going out I sometimes
forget to drink
C
I have plenty of drinks in the day but
they are mainly tea or coffee
(caffeinated drinks)
D
I have been advised to drink more water
but never get round to doing it
E
I often wake in the night to go to the
toilet or suffer urinary tract infections
How well are you doing? In response to your answers
A
You are doing well-keep it up and
continue to feel the benefits
B
You may have good intentions but may
need to get into a better routine with
friends and family to help you. Remember
when you are busy and exercising your
body needs even more hydration.
C
You would benefit from exchanging
some of your drinks to water or
decaffeinated options. Make it a priority
to drink more water.
D
With a little thought and planning you
could make some small changes to help
you feel better and be healthier.
E
These may be signs that you need
to be drinking more fluid in the day
(if in doubt discuss these symptoms
with a Health Professional)
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How not drinking enough
can affect you…
Dehydration adversely affects your mental
performance. Your concentration can
decrease by 13% and your short term
memory by 7%. Even mild dehydration
can cause headaches and dizziness and
increase your risk of falling.
Dehydrated skin makes you look older.
As you get older your thirst trigger to drink
is reduced. Drinking water and other
fluids is important in saliva production
which supports good oral hygiene
and helps with swallowing.
Staying hydrated will help
your heart to function properly.
Dehydration can increase
your risk of heart disease and
affects your blood pressure
causing dizziness.
Drinking throughout the day flushes
out your urinary system. Not drinking enough
can cause irritation to the bladder and increase
risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones.
Drinking water aids digestion. Becoming
dehydrated increases your likelihood
of constipation.
Waking in the night may be a sign of
dehydration. Drinking more water in the
day and avoiding caffeinated drinks in
the evening may help.
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Improving your drinking habits
- hints and tips…
er
Rememb
s
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Ideally you need around (1.5 - 2.5 litres)
2.5 - 4 pints of fluid a day including at least
4 glasses of water. If you don’t already drink
this amount, build up gradually. Unless
otherwise advised by a Health Professional.
Try exchanging tea and coffee for
decaffeinated options - they are more
effective at keeping you hydrated.
Don’t just drink tea and coffee they are
diuretics and cause your body to produce
more urine and can result in dehydration.
Watch your urine colour
Tap Water
Urine colour is a good indicator
of how well you are drinking ideally it should be pale or
straw coloured. If your urine is
dark or strong smelling it may
be an indication of dehydration
or a urine infection. Beware
some medications may change
the colour if in doubt speak to
a medical person.
Tap water scores top marks
for hydration it is free and
contains no calories or sugar.
You don’t need to buy
expensive bottled options.
Water on the go
Things to consider
Take a bottle of water (a sports
bottle filled with tap water is
ideal). When you go out or keep
it with you. It will encourage and
remind you to drink more and
reduce the risk of dehydration.
Remember you need more
fluids especially in warmer
weather or when exercising.
Expect a few extra trips to the
toilet when you start to increase
your fluid intake before it settles
to a normal pattern. If you are
concerned about disturbing your
sleep aim to have your last drink
2 hours before bed and avoid
caffeinated drinks in the evening.
Keep a jug of tap water in the
fridge or use a filter. If you wish
to improve the taste, add a
slice of orange, lemon or lime.
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How to boost your fluid intake
Fruit and herb teas and rooibos tea are
naturally caffeine free give them a try.
Milk, squash and fruit juice are other good
sources and 100% fruit juice will count as
one of your five a day.
Fruit and vegetables are naturally good
hydrators containing 80-90% water and
essential vitamins.
You should aim to get 80% of your water
from drink and 20% from food. Soup,
custard, yoghurt and jelly also have good
fluid contents.
Examples of water content of some foods
know?
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drinks
well as
FRUIT
Apples raw
Bananas
Peaches
Grapefruit
Tomatoes raw
Honeydew Melon
84%
74%
88%
91%
94%
90%
VEGETABLES
Broccoli cooked
Cabbage raw
Carrots raw
Celery raw
Lettuce
Cucumber
Baked Potato
Cauliflower cooked
91%
92%
88%
95%
96%
96%
75%
93%
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Did you know?
Caffeinated tea and coffee are mild
diuretics and cause your body to produce
more urine. Drinks which are caffeine free
are more effective at keeping you hydrated,
except alcohol!
unless otherwise advised by a Health
Professional. Water is the most beneficial.
Alcoholic drinks can contribute to
dehydration. Follow an alcoholic drink with
a glass of water, squash or fruit juice and
If you drink a lot of caffeinated tea and
keep well within the recommended limits:
coffee, try to reduce these. Changes need to No more than 2 units per day for women or
be gradual to minimise the risk of headaches. 3 units per day for men.
Ideally you need to be drinking around
Be aware of sugar contents of squashes or
1.5 - 2.5 litres (2.5 - 4 pints) of fluid each day, fizzy drinks.
Use this chart to tally what and how much you are drinking each day
Aim to decrease caffeine drinks and increase your water intake
No of cups or glasses
MON
(approx. 1⁄2 pint / 250ml)
Caffeinated
tea or coffee
Decaffeinated
tea or coffee
Milk or
milky drinks
Fruit juice
Water
Other drinks such as squash or herbal drinks
TOTAL
Fluid intake excluding
caffeinated tea & coffee
Use this space to make any notes:
TUES
WED
THUR
FRI
SAT
SUN