and not a drop to drink is what the ancient mariner verse tells us.
We might not quite be ancient or mariners or struggle with the availability of water to drink, yet I meet so many people who are on the brink of dehydration.
Thus, Step 2 of getting the basics right is actually paying attention to your hydration status.
There is a formula, you can use to work out how much fluid you need to drink.
Your weight in kilograms x 0.033 equals the amount in litres you should aim to drink per day.
For example, I’m 87kg, 87 x 0.033 = 2.87 litres.
That is a base level, if you exercise or have a high sweat rate you need to add more to your daily total.
That figure doesn’t have to be purely water, fruit juices,
squashes, herbal teas all count. We’re often told that tea and coffee are diuretics, which is true to a point but your first couple of cups still count to your fluid total.
Unfortunately, alcohol doesn’t.
You also get fluids in via fruits and vegetables, another reason to have plenty.
If you are nowhere near that figure, don’t worry, just build up to it over the next few weeks.
Going
from a mini bottle on your desk and the odd cup of tea to 3-4 litres will have you rushing to the loo every 10 minutes.
If that is the case, adding a pinch of Himalayan salt to your water will help with the absorption and taste of plain water.
There’s a lot of social media attention about drinking tap water and drinking from plastic bottles, both valid. However, that’s another example of looking a a single blade of grass rather than the
whole field. It’s more important for your short and long term health to be hydrated, than it is to worry about the possible effect of microplastics in your system.
Calculate your number, drink that amount per day for the next 10 days and let me know how you feel.
Darren “sloshy” Checkley