It’s not so much about how much water you should be drinking but how much liquid over the day should you be consuming. Every person is different as some will exercise, some will be taller, shorter, but overall a good amount of liquid to drink for the average person is approximately 2-2.5L per day. Nutritionist Zoe Bingley-Pullin shares how much water we should be drinking daily.
image via pinterest
Dehydration is one the major causes of energy slumps or headaches throughout the day, and to think it is as simple as sipping 2-2.5L of liquids each day! You can drink water, herbal teas, watered down fruit juices or freshly squeezed vegetable juice, milk or even beer!! But overall from a health point of view water is the best choice. Remember you also consume liquids from fresh fruits and vegetables, so make sure you are eating your 5 serving of vegetable and your 2 serving of fruit per day.
Try keeping a bottle of water with you at all times in the car and by your desk, this way it is a visual reminder. To begin with you may find that you will run to the toilet every two seconds – simply work up to the correct amount of water for you.
Beverages to drink
– Start each morning by squeezing the juice from half a lemon into hot water. Drinking this helps to stimulate digestive enzymes, which is a great way to begin each day.
– Dandelion-root coffee is wonderful for the liver, and since you’ve temporarily kissed you morning latté goodbye, you may as well start to enjoy this unique nutty flavour.
– Fresh vegetable juices are good therapy for the liver. Drink one daily made from one, or a blend of, the ‘can eat’ foods mentioned above.
– Green tea contains the bioflavournoid called ‘catechin’, which is an antioxidant and very healing for the liver. Drink one to two cups daily.
Healthy herbal teas are a brilliant alternative to caffine and will be part of the your daily consumption of liquids. Why is drinking herbal teas so good for you, you might be asking? When you have to consume 2.5L of liquid each day you can get pretty sick of drinking water. Herbal teas are a fantastic way to increase your hydration without adding extra kilos to your waistline. Herbal teas have a fantastic healing effect on the body.
Here are five fantastic teas to keep you warm over winter:
1. Rosehip Tea was use in World War II for medical properties because it contains an extremely high amount of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a fantastic antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-mucosal. A tip is do not boil the tea as this will deplete the high Vitamin C content.
2. Licorice Root Tea has been used for over 2000 years. Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sugar. Licorice is brilliant to have after meals as a sweet substitute it is also wonderfully soothing on the digestive system.
3. Ginger Tea is fantastic in helping reduce the nausea. It can be used in everything from morning sickness, PMT to motion sickness. It helps to improve your appetite by producing salivary amylase. Ginger is also a wonderful remedy in helping reduce bad cholesterol. It does this though lowering LDL “bad” cholesterol.
4. White tea has been drunk for centuries for ceremonial and health reasons. Green tea contains antioxidants called Polyphenols, which help to kill-off free radical damage that can cause early aging. Green tea helps to inhibit dietary fats being absorbed so therefore is excellent for weight loss. Try drinking green tea 30 minutes before eating; it helps to suppress the appetite.
5. Dandelion Tea is a fantastic alternative to coffee. It has a rich flavour like coffee and bares an amazing resemblance in colour. Dandelion tea is wonderfully stimulating for the liver and has a slightly bitter taste, which helps to also stimulate digestion.
A healthy hydrating diet:
Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice in hot water or fresh vegetable juice
Breakfast: Fruit salad with soy or rice yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of raw nuts and seeds
Snack: Peach and a handful of mixed nuts
Lunch: Organic or free-ranged chicken breast with a mixed salad including lemon juice, olive oil and herbs as a dressing
Snack: A small smoothie made of fruit and soy, rice, oat or almond milk
Dinner: Vegetable, beans and lentil soup
Post-dinner: Herbal tea with fruit and nuts