THE SECRET TO DRINKING MORE WATER

That’s why we say it over and over again: drink more water! We do, however, realise that this is often easier said than done. Staying hydrated throughout the day can be a real challenge, and it can be pretty boring. The secret? Forget about plain water! There are plenty of exciting ways make it taste great without loading it with sugary stuff. Here are some top ideas to make staying hydrated fun, easy and delicious.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK PER DAY?

Let’s start with the basics: how much water should you really drink each day? An adult loses an average of 2-2.6 litres of water per day depending on the outside temperature and amount of physical activity (a sportsman can lose between 1 litre and 1.5 litres of water per hour of training). The idea is to find a balance and drink enough to compensate for these losses and avoid getting dehydrated.   

You need about 30ml of water per kg of bodyweight. So, if you weigh 60kg, you need to drink 1.8 litres per day (that’s a little less than 3 Body&Fit Water Bottles per day). Be careful, though! In hot weather, when you lose even more water through sweat and breathing, you’ll need closer to 40ml of water per kg of bodyweight per day (so 2.4 litres per day in this case).

Even when it’s a hot summer’s day, that’s a lot of water. And if you’re drinking it from the tap, it can quickly become boring. Fortunately, there are other ways to meet your hydration needs.

DRINK INFUSED WATER

A great tip for drinking more water is to infuse your water to give it flavour. This way, it’s more fun and tasty to sip all day. You can infuse your water with fruits, herbs or our Body&Fit Natural Flavouring. One or two drops in your glass or flask and your tap water becomes a refreshing mocktail (check out our 5 favourite summer mocktail recipes for more inspiration!).

FOCUS ON ELECTROLYTES

Electrolytes are minerals that, when dissolved in a fluid, carry an electric charge. The main ones present in our body are magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphate and chloride. These electrolytes are vital for a whole range of bodily processes, including keeping you hydrated. They do this by maintaining the fluid balance between the inside and outside of cells, preventing them from bursting from being too full or drying up because they’re dehydrated.  

Where to find electrolytes?

Electrolytes are found in lots of everyday foods. Dairy products, or even by-products of dairy like whey protein, contain calcium; oilseeds are rich in magnesium; zinc is found in seafood; and bananas are high in potassium. You can also get electrolytes from natural and manufactured drinks.

What are electrolyte drinks?

Electrolyte drinks are water-based fluids containing either added or naturally occurring electrolytes. Coconut water is a natural electrolyte drink loaded with potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium. Drinks with added electrolytes are mostly designed for before, during and after hard exercise. Our Body&Fit Perfect Post Workout Shake, for example, contains a whopping 13 added vitamins and electrolytes. You can also find electrolyte powders, like our Body&Fit Isotonic Sports Drink, to add to your drinking water, infused or otherwise!

There are three different types of electrolyte sports drinks:

• Isotonic drinks have a similar mineral concentration to blood.

• Hypotonic drinks have a lower mineral concentration.

• Hypertonic drinks have a higher mineral concentration.

The main difference comes down to the speed the body is able absorb these liquids, which will determine the final level of hydration. Either way, adding electrolytes to your beverages allows you to stay hydrated in a much more fun way than just drinking tap water!

DRINK HOT WATER

Drinking plain hot water is a very popular practice in China. A cup in the morning, on an empty stomach, is thought to speed up the metabolism and help the body to burn more calories. It also allows you to hydrate without creating a thermal shock in the body, thus reducing the energy needed to maintain your body temperature — particularly useful when exercising in the cold. If drinking plain hot water doesn’t appeal to you, you can enjoy similar benefits with sugar-free herbal teas and infusions.