Do You Drink Enough Water in Winter?

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Thanks to one of my lovely readers who asked for some suggestions on how to keep water intake up during winter. It can be harder to keep hydrated in winter. When the weather cools down you just aren't as thirsty, the natural urge to drink isn't there.Being in and out of heating can also contributes to drying out your skin, giving you even more reason to stay hydrated during the colder months.

Why is water so important for our bodies? It helps with digestion, plays a role in absorption and transport of nutrients throughout the body as well as regulating temperature and keeping skin from drying out. We are lucky in Australia that our tap water contains fluoride which helps to keep both our bones and teeth healthy. It won't surprise you that tap water is the best drink for you, it is both inexpensive and kilojoule/calorie free.

The amount of water each person needs is different. It depends on many things such as: your body size, rate of metabolism, how physically active you are as well as the climate you are in. You are likely to need more water when you are physically active or in hot weather.

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommendations for fluid intake are listed below. 

Age group	Fluid required per day
Children up to 8 years	4 to 5 cups
Adolescents	6 to 8 cups
Women	8 cups
Pregnant- lactating women	9 cups
Men	10 cups

These recommendations include both cold drinks and hot drinks along with any liquid you get from food such as soup or vegetables.

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Cold temperatures will leave you feeling less thirsty and it can be easy to forget to drink enough water through out the day. Here are my tips to staying hydrated in winter:

• Hot drinks are a great way to keep your fluids up during the colder months. It is important to remember that these drinks might have stimulants (caffine) in them which can effect people in different ways. There is some evidence that suggests that too many coffees per day could be detrimental to your health, so my advice is everything in moderation.
• Always carry a drink bottle with you. Sipping constantly throughout the day will make the task of 8 to 10 cups more achievable. 8 cups = 2 litres 
• Have water with every meal. Sipping in between bites will not only help you to slow down and eat mindfully but it will also help you to stay hydrated.
• Make your water more enticing by flavouring it with fruit. Why not try orange or lemon? Both of which are in season at the moment. 
• After working out make sure you keep a drink bottle with you to re-hydrate. It is easy to forget to drink water when you have been exercising outside in the cold. 

I hope these tips help you to stay hydrated in these colder months. Share your tips for drinking enough water in winter with everyone in the comments.

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments or send me a message.

Have a healthy day,

Bridge

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