How much water should you drink?
· You will need to experiment for yourself but a good rule of thumb is 33 ml for every kilogram you weigh as an absolute minimum every day. Invest in a filter for your home so that you know you are drinking pure water and not toxifying your body with any chemicals.
· You can check the colour of your urine – it should be colourless, not yellow or orange (this will not work if you are taking excessive vitamins as these will brighten the colour of your urine)
· Many people today drink far too much caffeine: tea, coffee, cola, alcohol. These beverages all cause dehydration. If you choose to drink these beverages you need to add 1 extra glass of water on top of your normal daily intake for each cup you drink.
· Just because you are drinking plenty of water, it doesn’t mean you are hydrating your body. To absorb the water you are drinking you need: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride. Foods such as green leafy vegetables and nuts and seeds are good for these minerals. If you have low blood pressure and you feel you can’t retain the water or drinking water makes you feel unwell (because it dilutes the blood levels of minerals further), sprinkling a little Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt into your glass of water will help. Don’t do this if your doctor has advised you to avoid salt.
Good quality salt typically contains 84 minerals that can help you to better absorb water. Normally if you need it you will enjoy the taste of it.
· The best time to drink water is at least 30 min before eating and at least 2.5 hours after eating.
· It is not recommended to drink water with your meals as this will dilute your stomach acids and may affect digestion
· Water is truly the cheapest form of medicine!
· Don’t give up – it takes time to break habits